Vaccine Guidelines for COVID, Measles, and Hepatitis B Under Review by CDC Panel

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Three major vaccine recommendations are up for reconsideration—and experts say they’re likely to change under the Trump administration.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is responsible for creating national vaccination guidelines for children and adults, is scheduled to meet in Atlanta on Sept. 18 and 19.

The panel will likely vote on whether to uphold or alter guidance for four vaccines: hepatitis B, COVID-19, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and varicella (the virus that can cause chickenpox and shingles), according to the most recent CDC agenda. These viruses can have serious health implications for pregnant people, fetuses, and newborn babies.

Rewire News Group spoke with two doctors about what could happen when the vaccine panel meets, and how potential changes to vaccine recommendations could affect the health of millions of reproductive-age people in the U.S.

Hepatitis B can be transmitted during birth

Discussion of the hepatitis B vaccine is slated to focus on the newborn dose of the drug, which is given to infants shortly after birth. Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and sexual fluids, and can spread from a pregnant person to their infant both in utero and during childbirth. If untreated, the inflammation caused by chronic hepatitis B infection can lead to scarring of the liver that causes the organ to fail.

The CDC currently recommends a first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a second dose between one and two months of age, and a final dose between 6-18 months of age. Inoculation right after birth “maximizes the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing newborn infection,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

People infected at birth with chronic hepatitis B who never received treatment face up to a 25 percent lifetime risk of developing liver cancer, according to the Hepatitis B Foundation. Those infected with hepatitis B face up to a 4 percent annual risk of liver cancer, depending on whether they have cirrhosis.

Before 1991, when the U.S. launched a vaccination program designed to stamp out hepatitis B infections acquired during pregnancy and childbirth, roughly 18,000 to -20,000 babies were diagnosed each year, said Dr. James Campbell, the vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ committee on infectious diseases. Today, only 20 to 30 are.

Most hepatitis B infections can be linked to a specific risk factor, like intravenous drug use, sex with an infected person, or being born to a hepatitis B-positive individual. But up to one-third can’t be, Campbell said.

“We don’t know where everybody gets it from,” Campbell added. “Giving all babies the vaccine protects them from both known and unknown risks for getting hepatitis B.”

COVID-19 can be dangerous during pregnancy

COVID-19 can have mild symptoms mimicking a cold or the flu—or it can cause pneumonia, organ failure, and even death. Contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy increases the risk of severe illness, and death, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the leading professional organization for U.S. OB-GYNs. COVID-19 during pregnancy is also linked to miscarriage, stillbirth, and other pregnancy complications.

ACOG began recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for most pregnant people in 2021, the same year it became widely available. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications, and some protection against the virus is passed along to newborns. Babies are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine until 6 months of age.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association said, “Women of reproductive age … certainly are at risk of COVID and, in my view, should be vaccinated.”

Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella

ACIP is also expected to discuss the MMR and varicella vaccines, which are available in two separate shots or in a single, combined shot. One vaccine expert told POLITICO that he worries the panel could take the decision over which shot to use away from parents and health-care providers.

If contracted, these viruses can cause rash, fever, and swelling. Though rare, they can cause severe complications and death—sometimes years after recovering from the virus.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But a recent measles outbreak in Texas that has infected more than 700 people since January 2025 led to about 100 hospitalizations; two children died. Declining vaccination rates are believed to have played a role in the outbreak.

The CDC currently recommends children get two doses of MMR and varicella vaccines—one between 12 and 15 months of age, and a second between 4 and 6 years of age.

Changes will have consequences, advocates warn

The ACIP meeting comes amid a deliberate dismantling of the nation’s public health infrastructure under the Trump administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long espoused anti-vaccine views that don’t comport with available scientific evidence.

In June 2025, Kennedy fired all 17 existing ACIP members citing “persistent conflicts of interest.” He’s since selected 12 new people to sit on the panel—many of whom have demonstrated vaccine skepticism or other fringe scientific views. The panel has already signaled an interest in relitigating its previous vaccine recommendations and schedules, especially for children.

Experts and advocates warn that the chaos, confusion, and disinformation surrounding vaccine recommendations under Kennedy’s leadership will further undermine public trust in vaccines. A recent Washington Post/KFF poll found that more than 15 percent of parents have delayed or skipped getting their kid a recommended childhood vaccine.

Changing regulations could also make it harder for patients who still want or need protection against these diseases to get inoculated.

The recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, both for pregnant people and young children have been in flux for months. In May 2025, Kennedy abruptly reversed guidelines, stating the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy pregnant people.

What experts are saying

The Washington Post reported on Sept. 12 that Trump health officials plan to link the COVID-19 vaccine to the deaths of 25 children during the upcoming ACIP meeting.

Leading health organizations are sticking with their guidance: ACOG in August 2025 reaffirmed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters.

“The full body of data clearly shows that the COVID-19 vaccines are not only completely safe for use during pregnancy but also protective both during pregnancy and after the infant is born,” Dr. Mark Turrentine, an OB-GYN who helped author ACOG’s guidance, said in a statement.

One former high-level CDC official told NPR he expects the panel to delay the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.

“We’re very close to eliminating perinatal hepatitis B,” Campbell told RNG. “It will be a step backwards if we decide to undo all that’s been done over the years for no reason.”

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