Hepatitis Caucus Co-Chairs Johnson, Velázquez Call on RFK Jr. to Maintain Hepatitis Vaccine Recommendations
Letter to the Secretary: ‘Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hepatitis Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expressing grave concern over his recent dismissal of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and warning of the consequences for public health, particularly in the fight against liver disease and cancer.
"For decades, ACIP has served as a trusted, science-based body guiding the nation’s vaccine policy,” said Congressman Johnson. “Its recommendations – including the hepatitis B birth dose – have been instrumental in preventing chronic disease and saving lives. Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health.”
The hepatitis B vaccine is the first-ever vaccine proven to prevent cancer as it can stop chronic hepatitis B infections – the leading cause of liver cancer in the U.S. The universal birth dose recommendation, in place for over 30 years, has driven a 95% reduction in infant hepatitis B infections nationwide.
The letter also emphasizes the role of the hepatitis A vaccine in reducing outbreaks and safeguarding individuals with chronic liver disease, noting that 37 states have reported outbreaks since 2016.
The Caucus Co-Chairs reaffirmed their support for a rigorous vaccine approval process and welcomed further dialogue with Secretary Kennedy to ensure policies continue to be grounded in science, transparency, and a commitment to preventing chronic disease and cancer.
“Great strides have been made in the last several decades, and countless lives have been saved,” the letter concludes. “To alter the government’s recommended vaccination schedule would not only move us backwards but will cause people to die needlessly.”
To read the letter, click HERE.
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