Without evidence, RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel tosses hep B vaccine recommendation

https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/12/without-evidence-rfk-jr-s-vaccine-panel-tosses-heb-b-vaccine-recommendation/

Comments

WowfunhappyDec 6, 2025, 1:57 AM
I wonder how many states are just going to set their own recommendations.

I could still get the COVID vaccine here in New York because my state government overrode the federal government's ridiculous recommendation.

gdulliDec 6, 2025, 3:47 AM
Insurance companies are also run state by state. My blue state plan covered my vaccine completely. As they say, follow the money. It's in my insurance company's best interest for me to stay healthy. They don't have the luxury of treating it like a culture war.
hiworld6543Dec 6, 2025, 3:26 AM
You could get it in any state, if you are not expecting anyone else to pay for it. All his panel did was not recommend it be given universally, which you are free to ignore. They didn’t ban it.

The only effect of the panel’s recommendations is to guide insurance reimbursement. The recommendations give insurers the leeway to insist that young, healthy people get a checkup before a vaccine is covered.

New York, like every other state and RFK junior himself, politicized it. But that doesn’t change the fact that the vaccine recommendations don’t prohibit use of them.

But nice try.

marbroDec 6, 2025, 3:22 AM
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innagadadavidaDec 6, 2025, 2:25 AM
NPR mentioned something about Europe not mandating this and some other vaccines the US mandates but the expert basically dismissed that saying 30 years ago US decided to do its own thing. I felt this was biased and was just taking an anti-incumbent / anti-Trump stance. Does anyone have a more scientific view of EU policy with risk assessments?
TazeTSchnitzelDec 6, 2025, 2:52 AM
Comparison of EU member states' vaccine schedules for Hepatitis B: https://vaccine-schedule.ecdc.europa.eu/Scheduler/ByDisease?...
tw04Dec 6, 2025, 3:53 AM
Not mandating and not recommending are two different things. Europe basically universally recommends hep-b because it would be insane not to.
defrostDec 6, 2025, 3:37 AM
The full context risk assessment is that Denmark is "doing it better" for their population as a whole.

Trump and RFK Jr. look at the Danish policy of fewer mandated vaccines at birh and copy that one single feature.

What the Danes do is much better follow up post natal care for all newborn babies.

There's treatment at the first sign of (say) hepatitis B in Denmark, put in place early enough to avoid any severe liver disease.

The US would be better off, across all newborns, with a mandatory hep-B vaccine as a great many US newborns have no follow up post natal care to catch those cases that will result in liver damage for life.

nine_zerosDec 6, 2025, 1:37 AM
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