Senator Markey Condemns Trump Administration Vaccine Recommendations Endangering Children’s Lives

Boston (December 5, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee, released the following statement after today's meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

"Today's decision by ACIP to stop recommending that all babies be vaccinated at birth against hepatitis B endangers the health and lives of the more than three million children born in the United States each year. In the nearly 35 years since the CDC universally recommended the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, infection in children has decreased 99% nationwide. Today, 90,000 children are alive thanks to the decades-long policy of vaccinating all newborns from hepatitis B. That's 90,000 families that were not torn apart by this preventable disease.

"The Trump administration's decision to delay this vaccine means children will once again be at risk of chronic liver disease, liver cancer, or death from this incredibly contagious disease. This reckless decision is based on a willful misunderstanding of how vaccines work and it is intended to sow doubt in one of this country's greatest public health successes. Allowing anti-science conspiracy theorists to deny children life-saving vaccines is profoundly immoral and dangerous.

"Today marks another triumph for Trump and RFK Jr.'s Make America Sick agenda and an enormous step backward in our country's progress to help people live longer, healthier lives. I call for vaccine recommendations to once again be made through a transparent process, by medical experts, and based on evidence. Anything else is bound to have devastating consequences for children, for families, and for our communities."

Senator Markey has been a fierce opponent of the Trump administration's Make America Sick agenda. In September, Senator Markey called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign in response to RFK Jr's irresponsible anti-vaccine rhetoric and dangerous public health policies. Senator Markey has also released a tracker featuring a comprehensive list of Kennedy's dangerous actions since he was confirmed as HHS Secretary in February. Senator Markey opposed Kennedy's nomination to be HHS Secretary.

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