Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, says he is “very concerned” about a possible change to the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. A key advisory panel may take up the issue at an upcoming meeting.
Speaking on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Cassidy stressed his medical background. “I’m a doctor. I have seen people die from diseases that vaccines can prevent,” he said. He argued that long-standing vaccine recommendations have improved public health and should not be weakened.
Cassidy built his medical career around treating hepatitis B. He noted that giving infants the first hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth has reduced chronic hepatitis B cases by an estimated 20,000 over the last 20 years. “The vaccine is safe. It has been established,” he said. Cassidy warned that the push to revisit the schedule comes from people who misunderstand the disease. He believes some may feel overly secure because current infection rates are much lower than they were in the past.
The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides vaccine recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will meet on Dec. 4–5. The draft agenda includes discussions on the hepatitis B vaccine and could lead to votes. In September, ACIP delayed a vote on whether to shift the recommended pediatric schedule to a later date.
Cassidy has intervened in committee matters several times this year. In June, he called for postponing a vaccine meeting after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 ACIP members, intending to replace them with his own choices. Cassidy again urged a delay in September after several CDC officials left the agency.
These steps put Cassidy at odds with Kennedy, even though Cassidy played a crucial role in moving Kennedy’s nomination forward. Cassidy had voiced concerns about Kennedy’s past statements on vaccines but eventually supported his nomination after receiving what he described as “serious commitments” from the administration.
When asked whether he regrets his vote to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy responded, “Every reporter asks me that.” He added that he prefers to “live life forward” and acknowledged areas where he and Kennedy agree, including efforts to draw attention to the health effects of ultra-processed food. “He and I have publicly disagreed on some matters,” Cassidy said. “But I strongly agree with him on others.”
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