What A Day The Vax Wars Are Here
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Dec 9, 2025 
Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, dives into the contentious shift in hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for newborns. He reveals the historical impact of universal vaccination and unveils chaotic deliberations by the ACIP that now include controversial voices. Daskalakis warns that these changes could set a troubling precedent for future vaccine policies, advising parents to seek guidance from trusted pediatricians instead.
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Birth Dose Dramatically Cut Hepatitis B
- The hepatitis B birth dose cut newborn infections from tens of thousands to about a dozen cases last year.
- Early infection often becomes chronic and causes liver cancer or cirrhosis decades later, so prevention matters.
New Guidance Relies On Maternal Status, Not Evidence
- ACIP proposed using maternal hepatitis B status to guide newborn dosing and added an unvalidated antibody check after the first dose.
- Demetre Daskalakis says the antibody-testing proposal lacks supporting data and undermines durable three-dose protection.
ACIP Reconstituted With Ideological Appointees
- The ACIP was purged of 17 long-standing expert scientists and replaced with members described as ideologically aligned and anti-vaccine.
- Daskalakis warns this shifts the committee from critical scientific review to ideological rubber-stamping.