New chair of CDC vaccine panel fired from pediatric practice, wife says

The man tapped to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice was removed from his pediatric practice, according to his wife. Kirk Milhoan was removed after the committee recommended changing its guidance on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.

The new guidance advises parents to wait two months to give their baby the hepatitis B vaccine if the mother tests negative for the virus. Previous guidance, enacted in the 1990s, recommended administering the vaccine immediately after birth because the disease can be transmitted by people other than the baby’s mother.

Milhoan’s wife, Kimberly, defended her husband’s decision, emphasizing that he advocates for vaccines but weighs the benefits and risks based on evidence.

President Donald Trump praised the updated recommendation and asked the committee to review the full childhood vaccine schedule.