LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics gave its reaction on Friday after national guidelines for vaccination were revised.
The national Advisory Committee on Immunization proposed in its Friday meeting to downgrade the long-standing recommendation to immunize infants from hepatitis B at birth. The ACAAP opposes this change.
“Arkansas pediatricians spend every day partnering with caregivers to ensure our state’s children are healthy and happy. Today’s decision to downgrade recommendations to protect all babies from Hepatitis B by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) endangers the health and well-being of children in the United States, including our patients right here in Arkansas. It also creates confusion and complications for patients, providers, health care systems, and payers. The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics calls upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to return to using gold-standard science to inform decisions about the recommended spacing and timing of childhood vaccines.” – Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics…