AASLD Advocates for Continued CDC Childhood Vaccination Schedule, Court Ruling Offers Temporary Relief

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) has been actively advocating to maintain the existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) childhood vaccination schedule. A recent court ruling on March 16, 2026, temporarily halts modifications made by the Trump administration to these recommendations, offering a reprieve for public health officials and medical professionals.

Changes at Issue

The contested changes to the CDC schedule included removing the universal recommendation for a hepatitis B (HBV) birth dose and routine hepatitis A (HAV) vaccination for infants and children, instead limiting these vaccinations to those with specific risk factors. These risk factors, as defined by the proposed changes, include increased exposure and existing comorbidities.

Potential Consequences of Schedule Changes

According to Saul J. Karpen, MD, PhD, FAASLD, president of AASLD and inaugural chief scientific officer for the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, altering the vaccination schedule could lead to significant long-term health consequences. “We are at a critical inflection point for vaccine policy in the United States, particularly for hepatitis. If the vaccine schedule changes were ultimately implemented, the consequences may not be instantaneous but will accumulate and in a few months and certainly years, in many cases, will be problematic and potentially irreversible,” he stated.

Karpen elaborated on these potential consequences, stating that a shift from prevention to managing more advanced and complex liver disease could occur, leading to increased cases of chronic viral hepatitis, liver failure, and a greater demand for liver transplantation. He also highlighted the potential for inconsistency in clinical practice and uncertainty around standard-of-care recommendations.

Impact on Hepatitis B Vaccination

The universal hepatitis B birth dose is a highly effective tool in preventing mother-to-child transmission. Removing or delaying this protection leaves newborns vulnerable at the moment they are most at risk, potentially leading to a lifelong trajectory toward cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

Impact on Hepatitis A Vaccination

Research demonstrates the effectiveness of the HAV vaccine in controlling the spread of the disease. Following its distribution in 1996, cases dropped by more than 95% until 2011. A resurgence of the disease in 2016, as reported by the CDC, underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates.

AASLD Advocacy and Legal Challenges

The temporary federal block follows months of advocacy by the AASLD, its members, and the broader hepatology community. Throughout 2025, AASLD engaged with federal leaders, submitted policy comments, and collaborated with other organizations to raise concerns about the proposed changes.

This advocacy aligns with broader efforts within the medical community. The American Academy of Pediatrics led a group of medical societies in filing a lawsuit in summer 2025 to halt changes made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And the department regarding CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. This lawsuit was amended in January to include a request to stop the changes to the childhood vaccination schedule.

The Importance of Vaccination

Karpen emphasized the critical role of vaccines in medicine and hepatology, stating, “Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have in all of medicine, and in hepatology, they are foundational to prevention. Infants [and children] rely on us to protect them at their most vulnerable. When those protections are weakened, it’s not just a change in policy, it will likely put an entire generation at risk for preventable, lifelong liver disease.”

Source: Healio