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Tag: hepatitis b

  • Fact-checking CDC vaccine panel on baby hepatitis B shots

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    Since roughly 1991, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended all babies get a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The CDC committee that helps set vaccine policy voted Dec. 5 to overturn that decadeslong policy.  

    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ new recommendations say mothers who tested negative for hepatitis B should discuss the need for the vaccine with their doctors. For babies who do not receive a birth dose, the committee suggested the initial vaccine dose be given “no earlier than 2 months of age.”

    The committee is composed of members hand-picked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an anti-vaccine advocate who in June fired all 17 of the prior panel’s members.

    Here are four fact-checkable moments that stood out from ACIP’s Dec. 4 and 5 discussion leading up to the vote:

    Many people are unaware they have hepatitis B

    Several ACIP committee members and health administrators questioned the need for vaccination among certain children who they described as “low-risk” for hepatitis B exposure.

    But it can be hard to know a child’s exposure risk. 

    Hepatitis B is transmitted through bodily fluids like blood, semen and vaginal fluids. But it is a highly infectious and tough virus that can live on surfaces for up to a week. Small amounts of dried blood on innocuous household items like nail clippers, razors or toothbrushes could be enough.

    Hepatitis B infection is stealthy. It can be asymptomatic, sometimes for years. The CDC estimates about 640,000 adults have a chronic infection, but about half of them do not know they are infected and contagious.

    Even if a pregnant mother tests negative for the hepatitis B virus, her newborn can come in contact with it in other ways and through other people. Before the vaccine became recommended universally at birth, only around half of children under 10 who were infected with hepatitis B contracted it from their mothers during birth.

    Since many people are entirely unaware of their infections, it can be hard to know if a person is at elevated risk or resides in a community with infected individuals.

    A box of hepatitis B vaccine is displayed at a CVS Pharmacy, Sept. 9, 2025, in Miami. (AP)

    Vaccinations are to protect babies, who are most vulnerable to hepatitis B

    Some ACIP members said that vaccinating all babies against hepatitis B at birth mainly protected other, higher risk people.

    That’s misleading. Vaccination at birth aims primarily to protect newborns, who are particularly vulnerable to hepatitis B. 

    The hepatitis B virus attacks the liver. Infected infants have a 90% chance of developing the disease’s more dangerous chronic form. A quarter of those babies will go on to die prematurely from the disease when they become adults.

    Untreated, chronic hepatitis B infections can cause cirrhosis and death. It is also one of the leading causes of liver cancer. Patients can seek treatments to reduce the virus’ worst effects. But there is no cure.

    “We used to have 18,000 or 20,000 kids a year being born with this, a quarter of them going on to have liver cancer,” said Dr. James Campbell, pediatric infectious disease doctor at the University of Maryland. “We now have almost none.”

    Infection rates are low because the decades-old hep B vaccination strategy was working

    “This disease has become a victim of the vaccine,” said Dr. H. Cody Meissner, a committee member who voted against changing the recommendations. “We’re seeing disease rates go down because of the effectiveness of the vaccine.”

    Meissner is right that hepatitis B cases dropped dramatically following the introduction of birth-dose vaccination.  

    The hepatitis B vaccine uses proteins from the surface of the hepatitis B virus to provoke an immune response that gives the body a defense against future infection.

    Before the vaccine, around 200,000 to 300,000 people were infected with hepatitis B each year, including about 20,000 children.

    Since hepatitis B vaccines began being universally administered to babies, overall cases are down to around 14,000 annually. The change is especially dramatic among young people. In 2022, the CDC reported 252 new chronic hepatitis B infections among people up to age 19, or 0.4 out of every 100,000 kids.

    “It’s a mistake to say that because we’re not seeing much disease, we can alter the roots or the frequency or the schedule for administration,” Meissner said. “Because we will see hepatitis B infections come back.”

    Many countries vaccinate for hepatitis B at birth; the U.S. is not an outlier

    Committee members repeatedly compared the United States’ guidance with other countries, including Denmark, as part of the rationale for walking back the universal recommendation to provide a hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth.

    The U.S. is not a global outlier in recommending hepatitis B vaccines for newborns. In September 2025, the CDC reported that “of the 194 WHO member states, 116 countries recommend universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination to all newborns.”

    Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose vaccination policy by county as of September 2025. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

    Denmark’s standard vaccination schedule includes vaccines protecting against 10 diseases, but hepatitis B is not one of them. Denmark recommends hepatitis B vaccines only for babies whose mothers are infected with the virus, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 

    Unlike Denmark, the U.S. does not have a national health care system, making it harder for Americans to access regular prenatal care and track patient records across doctors. The U.S. also has lower rates of prenatal screening for hepatitis B.

    RELATED: Hepatitis B vaccine Q&A: Why do babies need the shot?

    RELATED: RFK Jr. wants to delay the hepatitis B vaccine. Here’s what parents need to know.

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  • RFK Jr.’s Buddies Are Back to Undermine Vaccines

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    The federal government is officially back to work, and unfortunately, so is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s influence over the country’s public health. Early next month, a panel of outside advisors assembled by Kennedy will meet once again and probably take a sledgehammer to more vaccines.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently posted the draft agenda for the next meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, scheduled for December 4 and 5. Among other things, ACIP plans to discuss the childhood vaccination schedule as well as “contaminants” in vaccines. Though it’s not exactly clear what ACIP will vote on during this meeting, some of its members will likely try to remove the decades-old recommendation that children be vaccinated against hepatitis B starting at birth—a decision that even some GOP lawmakers are trying to prevent.

    “I want to make America healthy, and you don’t start by stopping recommendations that have made us substantially healthier,” Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) told CBS News’ Face the Nation in an interview released Sunday.

    The hijacked ACIP

    Earlier this year, Kennedy unilaterally dismissed all 17 members of the ACIP, the panel of outside experts that helps guide the CDC’s vaccine policies. He then quickly added new advisors, many of whom—like Kennedy himself—have a history of spreading misinformation about vaccines.

    In its two meetings to date, the rejiggered ACIP has issued several recommendations welcomed by the anti-vaccination movement. It moved to ban the few remaining vaccines that contained thimerosal, for instance, an ingredient that antivaxxers have long accused of causing autism with dubious evidence. Though thimerosal was removed from most vaccines as a precaution in the early 2000s, studies since have failed to find any link to autism, and autism rates have only continued to rise. The ACIP also called for children under four to no longer receive the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (MMRV), a decision that the previous CDC had left up to parents.

    These decisions, and the ACIP’s general shift away from science-backed evaluation, have helped fuel the internal collapse of the CDC. In late August, RFK Jr. fired former CDC director Susan Monarez just four weeks into her role, reportedly because she refused to sign off on the ACIP’s recommendations without conducting her own review; soon after, much of the CDC’s senior leadership resigned in protest.

    So far, the ACIP’s worst decisions have been limited in their scope. Few vaccines today include thimerosal, and most families weren’t vaccinating their very young children with the MMRV shot. But the potential removal of universal at-birth hepatitis B vaccination threatens to be its most sweeping and damaging change yet.

    Unscientific fears

    Hepatitis B is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. In adults, it’s usually transmitted via sex or by sharing contaminated needles. But the virus can also be passed from an infected mother to the child during childbirth.

    Though a hepatitis B infection can be managed with antivirals if it becomes chronic, there is no curative treatment currently. Most children with hepatitis B will have it for the rest of their lives, and about a quarter will experience serious health problems, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

    Thirty years ago, ACIP and the CDC began to recommend that everyone receive the hepatitis B vaccine when young, eventually moving towards at-birth dosing for the first shot. This strategy was only adopted after previous attempts to just vaccinate the highest-risk groups failed to significantly lower cases. And since its implementation, rates of hepatitis B, especially in children, have steadily fallen in the U.S. The vaccine is also safe, with its most serious side effects, like anaphylaxis, being exceptionally rare and manageable with proper monitoring.

    At the last ACIP meeting in September, CDC staff argued in support of at-birth vaccination and warned that more children would almost certainly develop hepatitis B if the policy was removed. Both sessions of the ACIP ran long, and at the very last minute—amidst lots of confusion about what the members were actually voting on—the ACIP unexpectedly chose to table its planned vote on hepatitis B. Given the inclusion of hepatitis B on Friday’s agenda, however, it appears that reprieve was short-lived.

    The inclusion of the childhood vaccine schedule on Thursday’s agenda is also plenty concerning. Antivaxxers have made no secret about their desire to tear the schedule to shreds if they could. The Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccination group founded by RFK Jr., hosted its “Moment of Truth” conference earlier this month. During the conference, Mark Gorton, president of the MAHA Institute—a group founded to bolster Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy” movement—called for the “childhood vaccination schedule to be eliminated.”

    As before, the reformed ACIP has not revealed the contents of its votes scheduled for this next meeting. So it’s still up in the air just how far its members will go in trying to change the schedule. But there’s certainly no reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead for the country’s public health under the reign of RFK Jr.

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  • Trump’s misleading claims about Tylenol and autism

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    President Donald Trump warned U.S. women to stop taking Tylenol in pregnancy or risk giving their children autism. The advice came with no clear scientific basis during an hourlong press conference as he stood beside the nation’s top health officials, including the anti-vaccine activist he appointed to lead U.S. health policy.  

    “Taking Tylenol is not good,” Trump said Sept. 22 at the White House with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. beside him.

    Pregnant women have relied on acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol and other medications — for decades to relieve pain and reduce fever. It’s often the only medication OB-GYNs recommend to their patients experiencing high fevers. Untreated fevers can pose health risks for pregnant women and their developing babies. 

    As PolitiFact has reported, research so far does not provide conclusive support for Trump’s warning. Some studies have found an association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism prevalence, while others have found none. None of the research has proven it causes autism in children. Autism was first identified in 1943, more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Tylenol for use over-the-counter.

    Trump touted the promise of leucovorin in treating autism. The drug is a form of vitamin B9, also known as folate, traditionally used to combat the toxic effects of certain cancer drugs. He also repeated a number of other wrong or misleading statements about autism and vaccines.

    Trump: “Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400%.”

    Autism prevalence among children has increased over the years, but Trump’s statement  misses important context about the reasons behind the rise, including the increase in autism screening, diagnosis and awareness.

    In 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 1-in-150 8-year-olds had autism. In April, the CDC announced that prevalence had risen to 1-in-31. This represents a roughly 383% increase.

    Scientists, including the CDC, have largely attributed the rise to better screening, changes in diagnostic requirements, wider access to services and increased public awareness.

    The CDC based its most recent finding on 2022 surveillance data from 16 sites across 15 states and territories. Autism’s prevalence varied widely by location. The report’s 52 authors attributed those inconsistencies to different ways autism is evaluated and identified, the availability of screenings and financial barriers that can limit families’ access to services.

    In the mid-1990s, researchers began to see autism as a condition that presents in a broad spectrum of symptoms with varying degrees of severity. By 2013, clinicians formally adopted a single autism spectrum disorder diagnosis that includes people with a range of treatment needs.

    Autism advocates have raised awareness of the condition. As more services have become available to autistic children, families increasingly seek out formal testing. A child’s autism spectrum disorder diagnosis makes special education services more accessible and insurance coverage more likely.  

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    Trump: “There are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills that have no autism,” including the Amish and Cubans.

    We rated a similar claim about the Amish Pants on Fire in 2023. Studies have documented cases of autism among Amish children.

    The Amish, a Christian group known for rejecting modern conveniences and technological innovation, tend to have lower-than-average vaccination rates. However, some still vaccinate their children, with rates varying among settlements and different vaccines. 

    University of Maryland genetic epidemiologist Braxton Mitchell, who has studied Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s large Amish communities, previously told PolitiFact that childhood vaccines, which include shots for rotavirus, polio, tetanus and whooping cough, are more accepted among Amish people than other vaccines. 

    Trump also said “there’s a rumor” that Cubans don’t have Tylenol and “have virtually no autism.” 

    Acetaminophen is sold in Cuba under the name “paracetamol,” although shortages of the drug sometimes arise, according to The Latin Times. 

    Cuba also has documented cases of autism. A 2017 report in a peer-reviewed journal focused on Cuban health included a government estimate that 1-in-2,500 Cuban children have autism. That’s likely an undercount because of poor data and surveillance, it said. 

    Trump: “Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no reason to give a baby that’s almost just born hepatitis B.”

    That’s misleading. 

    Hepatitis B can be transmitted sexually, but it’s not the only way. It can be spread through direct contact with blood or from a mother to child during delivery. More mundane household contact can also result in transmission. Small amounts of dried blood on innocuous household items such as nail clippers, razors or toothbrushes could be enough. 

    Around half of people with hepatitis B are unaware they are infected and contagious. The vaccine dose is given to newborns within 24 hours of delivery because hepatitis B infections are extra dangerous for babies. Infected infants have a 90% chance of developing the disease’s more dangerous chronic form, which can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. A quarter of those babies will go on to die prematurely from the disease when they become adults. 

    Trump: “Don’t take Tylenol. There’s no downside…don’t take it if you’re pregnant.”

    This is wrong. Acetaminophen reduces fever, and fever during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects and other health problems.

    Untreated fever and pain during pregnancy has significant maternal and infant health risks, including miscarriage and preterm birth, according to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

    Doctors have also said that abstaining from needed medication could leave pregnant women in a negative emotional and mental state with worsening underlying conditions.

    Trump: “Now, you know what mercury is, you know what aluminum is. Who the hell wants that pumped into a body?”

    Vaccine critics often cite aluminum and mercury as problematic vaccine ingredients. But these blanket statements leave out important details about the chemistry and the quantity used. Health officials warn pregnant and breastfeeding women against consuming too much mercury, which can be found in seafood in safe and hazardous levels. But those warnings are about methylmercury, which is different from the kind of mercury used in vaccines. 

    Thimerosal, a preservative that prevents bacteria and fungal growth in multi-dose influenza vaccine vials, contains ethylmercury. Unlike methylmercury, which can accumulate and cause harm, ethylmercury is broken down by the body and excreted quickly making it less likely to cause harm.

    Thimerosal was removed from most vaccines, including all childhood vaccines, as of 2001, according to the CDC. Numerous scientific studies have found no link between thimerosal and autism.

    Some vaccines contain a small amount of aluminium to enhance the body’s immune response. Although large amounts of aluminum can be harmful, vaccines contain less aluminum than infants get from their natural surroundings. 

    According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, babies get about 4.4 mg of aluminum from vaccines in their first six months; they get around 7 mg from breastmilk and around 38 mg from formula in the same time. 

    Trump: Questioning how vaccines are administered to children, “Maybe it’s the doctors they get, maybe more money.”

    Trump advocated for childhood vaccines to be split up into multiple doses — a practice that exists for most childhood vaccines. As he spoke, he questioned if doctors have a financial incentive when it comes to administering vaccines. 

    A close look at the process by which vaccines are administered shows pediatric practices make little profit — and sometimes lose money — on vaccines.

    Pediatric practices might make money providing vaccines to privately-insured children, but many also participate in a program that vaccinates children for free. Overall, most practices likely break even or lose money.

    Doctors told us that evidence-based science and medicine and a desire to keep kids healthy drives doctors’ childhood vaccination recommendations.

    Staff Writer Madison Czopek contributed to this report.

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  • Hepatitis B vaccine Q&A: Why do babies need the shot?

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    The people at highest risk for contracting hepatitis B include health care workers, IV drug users and people having sex.

    So why do babies get vaccinated for hepatitis B as soon as they are born? It’s a fair question, and health care providers have compelling answers. 

    Hepatitis B is a virus that can do serious, sometimes fatal, liver damage. Although groups that are more exposed to swapping bodily fluids are at greater risk, anyone can get infected.

    Getting infected with hepatitis B as a baby is extra dangerous. Infected infants have a 90% chance of developing the disease’s more dangerous chronic form. And a quarter of those babies will go on to die prematurely from the disease when they become adults, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

    When the vaccine was invented in the 1980s, doctors initially vaccinated only the highest risk individuals. Cases didn’t meaningfully decline. 

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    In 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending vaccinations for everyone at birth. 

    The protocol produced results: New infections dropped significantly, especially among children and adolescents.

    “Now it’s a very uncommon disease in young children because of that vaccine,” Dr. Paul Offit, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia pediatrician and infectious disease expert, said. “It was a remarkable, remarkable achievement.”

    Today, infants get their first dose within 24 hours of birth and receive two to three more doses by the time they are 6 months old. 

    But the CDC’s independent vaccine panel is scheduled to reevaluate the vaccine schedule at its Sept. 18 meeting. KFF Health News reported that the panel is expected to vote on whether to delay the vaccine until children are 4. 

    Here’s what you should know about hepatitis B and what is behind the CDC’s longstanding “at birth” hepatitis B vaccine recommendation.

    What is hepatitis B? 

    The hepatitis B virus attacks the liver. Some people become very sick upon initial infection. Others have only mild symptoms or none at all. Acute cases can resolve on their own, but sometimes they develop into chronic infections. 

    Long-lasting infections can be asymptomatic, and dangerous. They develop more slowly and symptoms may not show up until much later in life, sometimes decades after the first exposure. 

    “It’s a stealth infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine professor and infectious disease expert. “After you get over the acute infection, you can have this smoldering infection and be contagious to others and feel perfectly normal.”

    Untreated, chronic hepatitis B infections can cause cirrhosis and death. It is also one of the leading causes of liver cancer. Patients can seek treatments to reduce the virus’ worst effects. But there is no cure. 

    The CDC estimates about 640,000 adults have chronic hepatitis B, but because of its asymptomatic nature, about half of people with the virus do not know they are infected and contagious.

    Who gets hepatitis B and how? 

    Anyone can get it. 

    Hepatitis B is transmitted through bodily fluids like blood, semen and vaginal fluids. It is usually transmitted through sexual activity, direct contact with blood, or from mother to child during delivery due to contact with bodily fluids.

    Because hepatitis B is an especially tough virus, it can live outside the body on surfaces for up to seven days. Even a small amount can be infectious.

    That means that although you can get it through sexual contact or health care work, mundane contact can also result in transmission. Small amounts of dried blood on innocuous household items like nail clippers, razors or toothbrushes could be enough.

    Many hepatitis B patients are never sure how they contracted it.

    “Those environmental routes of transmission of hepatitis B undoubtedly play a small but notable role,” Schaffner said. 

    Because so many people are unaware they are infected, preventing transmission was much more difficult — until the vaccine. 

    How do babies get hepatitis B?

    The fact that so many infected people have no idea they have it makes it nearly impossible to guarantee a child will never come into contact with a hepatitis B-positive individual.

    Babies can get infected from their mothers during childbirth. Testing for hepatitis B during pregnancy is recommended, and patients who receive regular prenatal care are highly likely to be tested at some point. But not all expecting mothers receive regular medical care. In some cases, those at highest risk for contracting hepatitis B are also less likely to access prenatal care, Schaffner said.

    The vaccine works well to prevent infection in babies born to mothers with hepatitis B. 

    But even if a mom tests negative, the child’s risk of contracting hepatitis is not zero. The reasons are varied: The test produces some false negatives. Pregnant patients can contract hepatitis B after being tested. Children may become infected simply by being in contact with the world at large.

    Offit said that prior to the vaccine being recommended for all infants, around half of children under 10 were infected from their mother during birth. The other half contracted it somewhere else. 

    How does the vaccine work and has it been effective at reducing cases? 

    The hepatitis B vaccine was first introduced in 1981; the version in use today was put in place in 1986. 

    It uses proteins from the surface of the hepatitis B virus to provoke an immune response that gives the body a defense against future infection. It is not a live virus, and the vaccine can’t infect someone with hepatitis B. 

    Doctors expect the vaccine may provide lifelong protection, but they are still monitoring results of the 39-year-old vaccine.

    Prior to the vaccine, around 200,000 to 300,000 people were infected with hepatitis B each year, including approximately 20,000 children, older CDC reports show. 

    Since hepatitis B vaccines began being universally administered to babies, overall cases are down to around 14,000 annually. The change is especially dramatic among young people. In 2022, the CDC reported 252 new chronic hepatitis B infections among people up to age 19, or 0.4 out of every 100,000 kids. 

    Dr. James Campbell, a University of Maryland pediatric infectious disease doctor, said the low rate is directly related to the recommended hepatitis B vaccine schedule: “Because we’ve been vaccinating nearly the entire population since 1991 those people are now 30 something years old.” New infections are largely among older Americans. 

    All the doctors we spoke with, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics describe the vaccine as safe and effective. 

    But why not delay the vaccine until a child is a little older?

    When it comes to hepatitis B, that first year of life is critical.

    Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services reports that 90% of infants who become infected go on to develop a chronic hepatitis B infection, that rate is 2% to 6% for adults. And with research showing that 25% of infected infants die prematurely from the disease, public health officials have long held that early delivery is crucial. 

    “Think about it,” Campbell said. “We used to have 18,000 or 20,000 kids a year being born with this, a quarter of them going on to have liver cancer. We now have almost none.”

    Delaying administration by even a few months increases a baby’s risk should they come into contact with the virus, Offit said. And Schaffner said delaying a vaccine can easily lead to never getting it: An unvaccinated child can become an unprotected adolescent or young adult with sexual partners, “and boom, then they get infected,” he said.  

    What are the hepatitis B vaccine’s safety risks?

    The most common side effects are mild and short term including pain or soreness where the shot is given, headache, fatigue or fever, according to the CDC. Very rarely, some people have a severe allergic reaction to the shot called anaphylaxis, which can be treated. 

    The vaccine contains small amounts of aluminium, an additive used to enhance the body’s immune response. Although large amounts of aluminum can be harmful, the vaccine contains less aluminum than infants get from their natural surroundings. 

    According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, babies get about 4.4mg of aluminum from vaccines in their first six months; they get around 7mg from breastmilk and around 38 mg from formula in the same time. 

    I heard that the risk of a baby dying from hepatitis B is 1 in 7 million. Is that wrong?

    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy used that statistic during recent Senate testimony. “That means you need to give 7 million hepatitis B vaccines to prevent one death,” he said.

    The vaccine is not administered to prevent babies from dying as babies. It aims to prevent them from developing the more harmful chronic hepatitis B, which can be fatal when they get older. It also prevents severe illness. 

    Kennedy’s statistic for babies who will eventually die from hepatitis B is still missing a lot of context.  

    It’s based on a 2020 research paper that tried to quantify how many people would have died of hepatitis B in 2014 had there never been mass vaccination. 

    The study estimated that 1,740 children ages 10 or younger would have contracted a deadly case of hepatitis B in a single year, 2014. 

    But to make his “1 in 7 million” calculation, Kennedy left out 99% of those deadly cases — any considered to be due to “elevated risk” of exposure, including among children born to infected mothers, children living with infected individuals, or those in communities with large numbers of infected people. 

    Since many people do not know they are infected, it can be hard to know if you are at elevated risk or reside in a community with infected individuals. 

    Vaccines given at birth “protect not only infants and children in their infancy and childhood, but throughout their lives,” Schaffner said. “It’s a larger series of issues that we’re trying to address. We’re trying to protect not only babies, but the transmission of the virus to the next generation.”

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  • LIVE: Former CDC chief Susan Monarez testifies RFK Jr. fired her over vaccine science

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    Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testified before senators on Wednesday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired her after she refused to endorse forthcoming vaccine recommendations without reviewing scientific evidence to support the guidance.Watch a livestream of the hearing in the video player above.Monarez was ousted just 29 days into the job, over disagreement with her boss on vaccine policies.Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the powerful health committee Monarez is appearing before, expressed skepticism over the explanations Kennedy has given over her firing. He carefully praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting health among Americans but made it clear he was befuddled by Monarez’s removal. He noted that senators had just approved Monarez’s confirmation with Kennedy praising her “unimpeachable scientific credentials.”“Like, what happened?” Cassidy said. “Did we fail? Was there something we should have done differently?”Monarez said in her testimony that Kennedy gave her an ultimatum: “Preapprove” new vaccine recommendations from an advisory CDC panel that Kennedy has stocked with some medical experts who doubt vaccine safety or be fired. That panel is expected to vote on new vaccine recommendations later this week. He also demanded Monarez fire high-ranking, career CDC officials without cause, she said.“He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not preapprove recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis for firing,” Monarez told senators. “He said he had already spoken with the White House several times.”The senate hearing will focus on the impact the turmoil at the nation’s leading public health agency, which is responsible for making vaccine recommendations to the public, will have on children’s health. It will also undoubtedly serve as an opportunity for Monarez and former Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who was also testifying before the committee, to respond to a number of Kennedy’s contentious claims about their final days at the agency.Kennedy has denied Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations.He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney. He did, however, acknowledge during a testy Senate hearing earlier this month that he ordered Monarez to fire several top officials at the CDC.The Senate hearing is taking place just a day before the vaccine panel starts its two-day session in Atlanta to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox. It’s unclear how the panel might vote on the recommendations, though members have raised doubts about whether hepatitis B shots administered to newborns are necessary and have suggested COVID-19 recommendations should be more restricted.The CDC director must endorse those recommendations before they become official. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, now serving as the CDC’s acting director, will be responsible for that.Monarez and Houry are expected to face tense questions from Republicans over the CDC’s vaccine recommendations and COVID-19 policies. Democrats, meanwhile, are likely to seek more information on Kennedy’s approach to vaccines.The health committee’s hearing will be overseen by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who cast a key vote for Kennedy’s confirmation. He has expressed concern about “serious allegations” at the CDC and has called for oversight, without blaming Kennedy.

    WASHINGTON —

    Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testified before senators on Wednesday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired her after she refused to endorse forthcoming vaccine recommendations without reviewing scientific evidence to support the guidance.

    Watch a livestream of the hearing in the video player above.

    Monarez was ousted just 29 days into the job, over disagreement with her boss on vaccine policies.

    Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the powerful health committee Monarez is appearing before, expressed skepticism over the explanations Kennedy has given over her firing. He carefully praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting health among Americans but made it clear he was befuddled by Monarez’s removal. He noted that senators had just approved Monarez’s confirmation with Kennedy praising her “unimpeachable scientific credentials.”

    “Like, what happened?” Cassidy said. “Did we fail? Was there something we should have done differently?”

    Monarez said in her testimony that Kennedy gave her an ultimatum: “Preapprove” new vaccine recommendations from an advisory CDC panel that Kennedy has stocked with some medical experts who doubt vaccine safety or be fired. That panel is expected to vote on new vaccine recommendations later this week. He also demanded Monarez fire high-ranking, career CDC officials without cause, she said.

    “He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not preapprove recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis for firing,” Monarez told senators. “He said he had already spoken with the White House several times.”

    The senate hearing will focus on the impact the turmoil at the nation’s leading public health agency, which is responsible for making vaccine recommendations to the public, will have on children’s health. It will also undoubtedly serve as an opportunity for Monarez and former Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who was also testifying before the committee, to respond to a number of Kennedy’s contentious claims about their final days at the agency.

    Kennedy has denied Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations.

    He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney. He did, however, acknowledge during a testy Senate hearing earlier this month that he ordered Monarez to fire several top officials at the CDC.

    The Senate hearing is taking place just a day before the vaccine panel starts its two-day session in Atlanta to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox. It’s unclear how the panel might vote on the recommendations, though members have raised doubts about whether hepatitis B shots administered to newborns are necessary and have suggested COVID-19 recommendations should be more restricted.

    The CDC director must endorse those recommendations before they become official. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, now serving as the CDC’s acting director, will be responsible for that.

    Monarez and Houry are expected to face tense questions from Republicans over the CDC’s vaccine recommendations and COVID-19 policies. Democrats, meanwhile, are likely to seek more information on Kennedy’s approach to vaccines.

    The health committee’s hearing will be overseen by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who cast a key vote for Kennedy’s confirmation. He has expressed concern about “serious allegations” at the CDC and has called for oversight, without blaming Kennedy.

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  • Key Things to Know About STIs and Getting Tested

    Key Things to Know About STIs and Getting Tested

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    Everything You Need to Know About Getting Tested for STIs

    We treat sexually transmitted infections differently from other infections. If your friend has a cold, you say, “Oh, that sucks,” not, “Gross, you should have been more careful!” 

    If there’s a virus going around, you get a pamphlet explaining what it is and how not to catch it — not shamed for being unclean. Rather than waiting until they’re teenagers and telling them not to hang out with certain people, we vaccinate children to keep them safe from certain diseases. 

    But in many people’s minds, sexually transmitted infections — STIs for short, and formerly known as STDs — are different. Unfortunately, because of their association with sex, they’re often seen as much scarier and more shameful. 

    RELATED: Here’s How Not to Get an STI

    As a result, people tend to approach their sexual health in backwards or unproductive ways by being blissfully ignorant until it’s too late. That said, protecting yourself from STIs isn’t super complex, and unlike other infections, there are cheap and easy ways to find out if you’re affected. 

    AskMen spoke with a handful of sexual health experts to get the info on what you need to know about STI tests, from how they work to why they’re important to why guys often tend to avoid taking them.

    What Is an STI Test?

    “A STI test is done to check if you have a sexually transmitted infection, such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, HPV, HIV, herpes, or syphilis,” says Dr. Janet Brito, a sex therapist based in Hawaii. 

    However, not all tests are the same. Depending on what you’re getting tested for, with many tests checking for multiple infections at once, the test may take a different form. Common ways to check for STIs are “via a blood sample, a swab, or a urine analysis,” adds Brito.

    Why Getting Tested Is Important

    If you’ve never been tested before, you might not be entirely clear on why getting tested fairly regularly is important. 

    “If you are sexually active, especially if you are engaging in unprotected sexual activity, participating in high risk sexual behavior (i.e have multiple partners), starting a new relationship, noticing any symptoms (i.e. foul discharge, burning during urination, bumps, or sores around or on genital area, pain, itching, inflammation), it is best to get a STI test to rule out any possible infections and to avoid any health complications that may arise and that could be treated early on,” says Brito. 

    “It is also important to get tested even when you do not have symptoms,” she adds, “as some STIs may be asymptomatic” — meaning you might not see the signs until you’ve already passed it on to someone else — or worse, multiple people. 

    Beyond just treating symptoms as to also avoid infecting other people, knowing your STI status is important to ensure your STI doesn’t develop into something worse if untreated. 

    “It is important to discuss your sexual health practices with your doctor, especially if you are engaging in anal sex,” notes Brito. “An anal pap smear can help to screen for HPV as well. Not receiving proper care for STI symptoms may result in more complicated health challenges, like infertility or cancer.”

    How Often You Should Get Tested

    As for how often you should get tested, there’s no one single answer. 

    It becomes more important in certain specific circumstances, particularly if you notice potential symptoms, and/or when you’re about to start sleeping with a new partner. 

    “The CDC guidelines about how often to get tested are ambiguous because there’s no magic bullet,” explains Lauren Weiniger, cofounder of an app called SAFE, which allows users to privately show their verified STI status on their phone and get tested. “It depends on your lifestyle, and your risk tolerance. The guidelines vary from three to six months, but some people choose to get tested every two weeks.”

    Why Some Guys Avoid Getting Tested

    However, if you’re most guys — particularly straight guys, who often have fewer partners than their queer counterparts — you’re most likely not getting tested every two weeks. 

    You might not be getting tested every three to six months, either. In fact, some guys have never gotten tested, regardless of their sexual history. There are a few reasons why that might be the case. 

    “Some guys may not get tested because they do not know to get tested (i.e. do not have enough comprehensive sex education around the benefits of getting tested),” says Brito. They could also skip getting tested because they “don’t have any symptoms that they are aware of.”

    Perhaps the most pressing issue, however? Guys avoiding getting tested “due to stigma and shame around sexuality and the issue of STIs,” as Brito puts it. “This worry may prevent guys from getting tested and seeking help.”

    In order to help combat that, demystifying STI tests could be useful — so keep reading to find out what they’re like, how they work and how to get one done. 

    The Different Kinds of STI Tests, Explained

    While it might be convenient to take a test that checks for all the different STIs at once, no such test exists (not yet, at least). 

    In countries with universal healthcare like Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and others, syphilis tests are typically covered in whole or in large part. 

    However, in the United States, you might need private insurance in order to pay for an STI test, and depending on which insurance you have and where you go to get tested, your STI test may or may not be covered. If you’re unsure, it’s best to look into it before showing up. 

    That being said, here’s a breakdown of some common STIs and what it’s like to get tested for them: 

    Chlamydia

    Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that typically presents no symptoms. However, when it does, the results are not pleasant. 

    RELATED: How to Diagnose and Treat Chlamydia

    Men who come down with chlamydia symptoms often experience burning sensations when they urinate, testicle pain, scrotum swelling and even discharge a secretion from the penis. 

    Luckily, once it’s diagnosed, it’s easily treatable with antibiotics. 

    How the Chlamydia Test Works

    The test for chlamydia is typically an analysis of either a urine sample or a swab of the genital area. 

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    A standard amount of time to get results back for a chlamydia test is 7 to 10 days. Often, clinics will only contact you if you test positive — meaning if you don’t hear back, you’re in the clear. 

    Gonorrhea

    Like chlamydia, most people with gonorrhea won’t experience symptoms. However, when those symptoms do occur, they include burning sensations, sensitive or broken skin on the genitals and a milky-white discharge of pus. 

    RELATED: How to Diagnose and Treat Gonorrhea

    Yes, the infection is so named because gonorrhea means “flow of seed” in ancient Greek — doctors at the time mistook the discharge for semen. 

    Gonorrhea is also treated with antibiotics, but over time, some strains of the infection have become increasingly resistant to the drugs. It’s led to a version called “super gonorrhea,” which is more difficult, but not impossible, to cure. 

    How the Gonorrhea Test Works

    Like the chlamydia test, the test for gonorrhea is an analysis of either a urine sample or a swab of the genital area. 

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    Like chlamydia, gonorrhea tests typically take 7 to 10 days to hear back, and again, if you test negative, you may not be contacted at all. 

    HIV

    HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the most serious disease that’s sexually transmitted, as it can morph into AIDS, a disease that has historically been quite deadly. 

    Although recent medical advances, such as the development of PReP treatments, have made HIV much less likely to have fatal consequences, knowing your HIV status is still of paramount importance. 

    How the HIV Test Works

    HIV tests are done on a blood sample, meaning either a syringe will be used to draw some blood from your arm, or a finger prick will be performed. 

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    Some centers offer rapid HIV test results, where you can discover your result in a matter of minutes. However, taking a normal HIV test could mean it’ll take days to weeks to get results. 

    Herpes

    There are two different types of herpes: HSV-1 and HSV-2, which can both produce sores around the mouth and genitals — sores that themselves are infectious. 

    RELATED: How to Diagnose and Treat Genital Herpes

    Herpes can also leave you with a rash in the genital region, as well as an unpleasant fever. T at the moment, but it can be treated using antiviral medications. If left untreated, however, herpes can have serious effects on various other parts of the body, so taking it seriously is hugely important. 

    How the Herpes Test Works

    The test for herpes differs depending on whether you’re presenting symptoms or not. If no symptoms are present, a blood test is done. If there are symptoms, in addition to the blood test, you’ll get a swab of the affected area done. 

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    Depending on the type of test, it can take between 1 and 14 days to get results from a herpes test. 

    Syphilis

    Syphilis is a bacterial infection that can have devastating health consequences if left untreated. 

    After the first stage — painless sores appear on or around the genitals but then recede — people with syphilis will begin experiencing an infectious skin rash, intense cold symptoms and even hair loss.

    RELATED: How to Diagnose and Treat Syphilis

    If it’s still left untreated, the third stage of syphilis involves the disease spreading to various other parts of the body, including the brain, where it can cause serious and wide-ranging damage. However, if syphilis is treated before it begins to progress to the second stage, it’s relatively easy to cure, often requiring just a single shot of penicillin. 

    How the Syphilis Test Works

    A syphilis test is done using either a blood sample or a sample of fluid from a syphilis sore, if symptoms are present. 

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    Getting your syphilis test results back can take between three and five days.

    HPV

    HPV, which stands for human papillomavirus, is a very common virus; nearly 80 million people are currently infected in the United States. In fact, HPV is so common that nearly all men and women get it at some point in their lives. 

    Most of the time, the virus goes away on its own, but some strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer if not found and treated.

    “You could possibly be carrying a cancer-causing strain without knowing it,” says Engle. “There isn’t much you can do other than use condoms and be aware and educated about sexual health and wellness.”

    How the HPV Test Works

    There’s currently no test for men who are HPV-positive and don’t show symptoms (which is the vast majority of men).

    How Long It Takes to Get Results

    With no current test for men, there’s no way of knowing. However, if a female partner you’ve had unprotected sex with gets tested for HPV — a fairly good marker of whether you have it — that would take one to three weeks.

    How to Find Out Your STI Status

    Finding a Nearby Testing Location

    Going into an urgent care without insurance can leave you with a bill of over $1,000. That’s why it’s necessary to find sexual health clinics that offer free care to individuals without insurance or accept insurance with a little to zero copay.

    “The best advice I can give is to Google local free clinics in the area and always check for the closest Planned Parenthood,” says Gigi Engle, a certified sex coach and clinical sexologist.

    (If you live in the United States, you can head on over to the Planned Parenthood locator to find the nearest location to you.)

    “At a free clinic you can expect to be seen by a nurse practitioner. They’ll take a blood sample and test for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and sometimes Hepatitis B. They don’t test for herpes unless they expect an infection, meaning that you’re having an outbreak.”

    RELATED: Conversations to Have With Your Doctor

    “You can also talk to your primary care physician, and don’t be afraid to tell them what’s going on. If you feel like you can’t comfortably discuss medical issues with your doctor, find a new one. You should always feel safe,” Engle added.

    The Safe app is yet another option. The app privately shows your verified STI status on your phone, and also links users to testing centers. “With the app, you can skip the doctor and book testing directly at over 30,000 labs across the U.S., usually the same day and in under 15 minutes. It’s only $99 out of pocket, or you can use your insurance to cover the cost,” says Weiniger.

    Using At-Home STI Test Kits

    If you’re in a situation where going to a nearby clinic isn’t a convenient, feasible or available option, you can also make use of the burgeoning at-home STI test kit industry. 

    As with so many industries today, STI tests are something you can have delivered to your front door — but are they as good as getting tested by a professional? At least for the time being, probably not, in part because the method at-home kits use (urine analysis) isn’t the most accurate when compared to getting your blood work done. 

    As well, if you’re already experiencing STI symptoms, you should speak with a doctor about them anyway, so taking an at-home test might not be the most useful approach. 

    That being said, if you’re symptom-free, not engaging in high-risk sexual behavior and just want a quick, relatively accurate checkup, an at-home STI test kit isn’t a terrible idea.

    To find out the best at-home STI test kit for you, you can check out AskMen’s list of them below: 

    RELATED: The Best Proven At-Home STI Test Kits

    When to Get an STI Test Done

    1. If You Don’t Plan on Using Condoms With Your Partner

    After a period of dating, it’s not that uncommon for those in a monogamous relationship to decide that condoms aren’t necessary anymore. Prior to having unprotected sex, it’s highly recommended to get tested to ensure that both you and your partner are negative for all STIs — even if you feel completely healthy.

    “Many STIs have a latency period,” warns Weiniger. Meaning, it can take as long as six weeks following intercourse to show up positive for a sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis. “An STI test is a snapshot in time, so while someone may have tested negative a few weeks ago, there’s no guarantee they haven’t been exposed or they weren’t already exposed since that test was valid.”

    That’s why it’s recommended to continue using protection for two months following the last time you had sex with another person. After eight weeks, the tests for all STIs will be the most accurate.

    2. If You or Your Partner Notice Any Physical Changes

    If you start to see some unsightly sores, experience pain urinating, or begin releasing discharge, it’s definitely time to get tested. 

    RELATED: What You Should Know About Penis Health Care

    Flu-like symptoms, including a high fever and swollen lymph nodes, could also indicate that you recently contracted a virus (possibly HIV or herpes). If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you should stop having sex and wait until your results return before having intercourse again.

    While men are significantly more likely than women to show symptoms after acquiring an STI, “STIs can be asymptotic and not just in women,” clarifies Ben Davis, MD, an attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sexual Health Clinic. 

    He adds, “Men are commonly asymptotic in the throat and rectum,” which is why it’s necessary for men, especially men who have sex with other men, to have both oral and rectal swabs completed when tested.

    3. If One of You Has Cheated

    If either of you are having unprotected sex with someone outside of the relationship, getting tested is important — even if you didn’t go “all the way.” Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HSV-2 (genital herpes) can still be passed if oral sex is performed.

    Even if you used a condom when you cheated, it still might be a good idea to go in a get tested, just in case.

    RELATED: Everything You Should Know About Cheating

    “Since condoms do prevent most STIs, I’m not sure I agree that routine STI testing is indicated after sex with condoms [after cheating],” Davis says. 

    “On the other hand, penetrative intercourse is not the only way to get STIs. You can get it from oral, including rimming. Also, STIs can be spread by skin to skin — HPV and HSV, to name two common ones. So I’d have to say I probably agree it’s a good idea to get tested after cheating with a condom, but I want to strongly make the point that condoms do protect against most STIs.”

    with additional reporting by Zachary Zane

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