(Washington, D.C.) The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to infectious and chronic disease prevention by protecting the public from transmittable, vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis B. ACPM expresses deep concern regarding the decision of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to modify its recommendations to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and firmly believes that the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is critical to protect against exposure to hepatitis B – especially at a medically vulnerable state – which is a serious public health threat with long-lasting consequences. Any preventable case of hepatitis is a mistake that can and should be avoided.
As the only medical specialty trained to bridge clinical care and public health, ACPM offers the following considerations in reviewing the ACIP recommendation: under real-world conditions, prenatal testing is imperfect, and results may be missing, outdated or incorrect. Household transmission from caregivers or family members other than the mother remains a documented source of early-life hepatitis B infection. And most importantly, not all infants return for their 2-month visit on time. These real-life circumstances and gaps are exactly what the universal birth dose was designed to prevent.
ACPM advocates for effective primary prevention initiatives – such as vaccines proven to be safe and effective – to continue and for sufficient, credible and evidence-based information on benefits and risks to be provided to the public to make informed decisions. We urge families and those expecting to give birth to speak with their trusted physicians to ensure they are best protecting themselves, their loved ones and their communities.
###
For more information or to speak with an ACPM representative, please contact media@acpm.org
About ACPM:
The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) is a professional medical society representing approximately 2,000 physicians, dedicated to the practice of preventive medicine; improving the health and quality of life of individuals, families, communities, and populations through disease prevention and health promotion. For more information about ACPM, visit www.acpm.org.
