By Sharyl Attkisson | December 8, 2024
The following information is from Children’s Health Defense.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its 2025 immunization schedule, recommending a new Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine for pregnant women. This decision comes with the removal of a prior warning about the lack of safety data for such vaccines, sparking questions about the risks of this recommendation.
The CDC added a new brand of Hepatitis B vaccine, Heplisav-B, to its schedule for pregnant women this year after removing previous safety warnings. While the vaccine label still notes a lack of adequate studies in pregnant individuals, safety claims are based on limited animal testing and a small post-licensure study involving 81 women. The change has raised concerns among providers about the adequacy of safety data.
Historically, vaccines were considered unsafe for pregnant women until 2009, when recommendations began to change, driven by broader public health campaigns. Before this shift, pregnant women were routinely excluded from vaccine trials, leaving gaps in safety data. Critics point out that these gaps still exist for many of the newer vaccines now being recommended.
In 2021, the CDC added the COVID-19 shot to the recommended vaccine schedule for pregnant women, a move met with international scrutiny. Some countries, including the UK and Japan, chose to approach this more cautiously, withholding similar recommendations. Dr. Brenda Baletti of Children’s Health Defense highlighted concerns about the general safety of vaccines for expectant mothers.
“Vaccines recommended for pregnant women are often risky and ineffective, and long-term safety data are lacking.”
Dr. Brenda Baletti, Investigative Journalist, Children’s Health Defense
The RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine, also added to the CDC’s schedule, has raised alarms due to findings of an elevated rate of preterm births during clinical trials. Despite these findings, the CDC has included the shot for high-risk groups, including pregnant women. Watchdog groups and experts have pointed out that potential risks like these necessitate more robust transparency in vaccine approval processes.
“The key information is still being hid from Congress and the public.”
Tristan Leavitt, President, Empower Oversight
As the CDC’s vaccine recommendations expand, now suggesting more than 200 doses over a lifetime, concerns grow about the lack of sufficient safety data for specific demographics, particularly pregnant women. Experts urge individuals to critically evaluate these decisions, balancing risks and benefits while awaiting further long-term studies.
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