Reps. Chu and Schrier Lead Over 100 Members Requesting GAO Study on RFK Jr.’s Rollback of Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation

Letter responds to RFK Jr.'s CDC panel's vote to drop the longstanding recommendation for the universal administration of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) led 108 of their Democratic colleagues in a letterto the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that it conduct a comprehensive study on the public-health, economic, and equity impacts of eliminating the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation.

This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), appointed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, voted 8-3 to eliminate the long-standing recommendation.

"For more than three decades, the universal birth-dose has been one of the most effective public-health interventions in the United States. Since its adoption in 1991, annual childhood hepatitis B infections have declined by more than 99 percent…The vote to abandon this universal standard raises profound concerns about the health and safety of newborns nationwide," said the Members.

They continued: "These concerns are especially acute for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, who comprise only seven percent of the U.S. population yet account for approximately sixty percent of chronic hepatitis B cases."

The letter requests that GAO's study evaluate projected public-health impacts of increased infant infections, including long-term liver disease and cancer; assess equity impacts, especially for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities; analyze the economic and health-system effects, including downstream Medicaid and Medicare costs; and evaluate ACIP's evidence and decision-making process.

The Members concluded: "Given the magnitude of this policy shift and the risks it poses to public health, a thorough GAO review is essential to ensure transparency, safeguard scientific integrity, and inform Congress as CDC leadership considers whether to implement the ACIP recommendation."

The full letter is available here.

The letter is signed by 108 Members: Reps. Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-07), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

The letter is endorsed by 20 organizations: the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Hepatitis B Foundation, National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, The Pride Center at Equality Park, Justice in Aging, Protect Our Care, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Doctors for America, American College of Nurse-Midwives, Families USA, Equality California. National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, National Hispanic Medical Association, American Kidney Fund, Trust for America's Health, Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL) Infectious Diseases Society of America

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