<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The U.S. is </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/06/cdc-acip-anti-vaccine-rhetoric/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">in the midst of its biggest overhaul yet</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> to childhood vaccinations, and it is already impacting how families are thinking about immunizing their children. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">President Donald Trump recently </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/05/acip-childhood-immunization-schedule-hepatitis-b/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">directed a review </a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">of the longstanding childhood vaccine schedule. And just last week, an influential vaccine panel recommended </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/03/hepatitis-b-vaccine-acip/88b9028e-d06a-11f0-92cb-561ee4e6a771_story.html?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">dropping the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> vaccine for newborns, </span><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: rgb(29, 28, 29);">even though medical associations said they lacked evidence and data to support the change</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today on “Post Reports,” national health reporter Lena Sun breaks down the implications of dropping the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, and how, if the change is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it could affect children’s health nationwide. Then, host Martine Powers speaks with Dr. Nola Jean Ernest about how a growing skepticism toward vaccines is affecting her practice and how </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/10/10/pediatricians-vaccine-trust-influencers-rfk-jr/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">she is managing to make the case</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> to patients in the Wiregrass region of Alabama that vaccines matter.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to editor Fenit Nirappil. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Subscribe to The Washington Post </span><a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></p>
