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CDC vaccine panel votes to scrap long-standing hepatitis B shot at birth
New guidance urges parents of low-risk newborns to consult a doctor and delay first dose
Critics warn move could raise infections of a virus that can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer

A key federal vaccine advisory panel has voted to end more than three decades of guidance that all newborns receive a hepatitis B shot within hours of birth, a move that has alarmed many public-health experts.

In an 83 vote Friday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended scrapping the universal birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine. The recommendation came after the panel heard presentations from multiple vaccine skeptics.

The change would roll back guidance that has been in place since 1991, when the CDC adopted routine infant hepatitis B vaccination as a cornerstone of its strategy to curb infections. Scientists have credited the policycombined with follow-up childhood doseswith driving down new hepatitis B infections in the U.S., particularly among children.

The panels recommendation must still be endorsed by the acting CDC director before it can take effect.

Panel urges case-by-case decisions and later start to vaccination

Under the new guidance, ACIP said if a pregnant person tests negative for hepatitis B, parents should consult a physician about whether their newborn needs the first dose at birth. For infants who skip the birth dose, the committee suggested delaying the first shot until at least two months of age.

The vote follows a sweeping overhaul of the committee earlier this year by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who removed all previous members and installed a new panel.

Supporters of the change argued that most newborns face low risk of hepatitis B infection and raised questions about possible, but unproven, long-term side effects of the vaccine.

Patients are unaware that their babies are getting a lot of interventions in the first few hours of life, said Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician on the panel who voted for the new recommendation, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Parental rights are violated.

Griffin suggested the vaccine could be linked to autoimmune conditions, while acknowledging that no high-quality studies have demonstrated such a risk.

Critics say evidence shows birth dose is safe and effective

Other committee members and outside experts strongly opposed the move, saying it was not based on the weight of scientific evidence.

They pointed to randomized trials and more than three decades of real-world data supporting the safety of the hepatitis B vaccine in newborns, as well as continuous monitoring through vaccine-safety surveillance systems that have not identified unusual harms.

Public-health specialists have long warned that limiting the birth dose to babies of women known to have hepatitis Bor delaying vaccinationcan create dangerous gaps in protection. Prenatal hepatitis B testing is typically done in the first trimester, leaving time for a pregnant person to become infected later in pregnancy. Some never get tested at all.

Beyond transmission from mother to baby, hepatitis B can spread through contact with infected blood and body fluids, including via shared household items such as razors, toothbrushes or washcloths. Household and early-childhood transmission are key reasons global health agencies have pushed the birth dose.

The birth dose is critical to preventing hepatitis B, which is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide, said Chari Cohen, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. It is not a virus you want your baby to have.

Background: What is hepatitis B and why does the birth dose matter?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. Many adults who become infected clear the virus on their own, but when infection occurs in infancy or early childhood, it is much more likely to become chronic, lasting for life. Chronic hepatitis B can cause cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer. Globally, hepatitis B is estimated to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, largely from liver-related complications.

The virus is spread through blood and certain body fluidsvia sexual contact, shared needles, or from mother to child during pregnancy or birth. Because newborns immune systems respond differently, an infant infected at birth has up to a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B, compared with fewer than 10% of healthy adults who are infected.

The hepatitis B vaccine, introduced in the 1980s and widely recommended for U.S. infants since 1991, is one of the most intensively studied vaccines. Decades of data show it to be highly effective in preventing infection and associated liver disease, with serious side effects considered rare according to major health authorities including the CDC and World Health Organization.

The birth dose is designed as a safety net: it helps protect infants whose mothers have been misdiagnosed, infected late in pregnancy, or never tested, and it reduces opportunities for household transmission in the first months of life. Many countries, guided by the WHO, recommend a hepatitis B shot within 24 hours of birth, followed by additional doses in infancy.

Public-health experts fear that delaying or skipping the birth dose could leave more babies vulnerable during a critical windowespecially in communities with higher rates of hepatitis B or limited access to prenatal care and testing.

Next steps for the controversial recommendation

The ACIP vote does not automatically change U.S. immunization policy. The committees recommendations must be reviewed and accepted by the CDCs acting director before they become part of the agencys official vaccine schedule.

In the meantime, health systems, pediatricians and parents are likely to face questions about whether to follow the long-standing practice of giving the hepatitis B shot at birth or the new, more limited guidance if it is adopted.

Many public-health and liver-disease experts say they will continue urging parents to accept the birth dose, arguing that the benefits and safety of early hepatitis B vaccination are well established, while the risks of delaying are borne by the smallest and most vulnerable patients.

FTC takes issue with hidden fees, undisclosed commitments, fake reviews

FTC finalizes order shutting down deceptive marketing by telemedicine firm NextMed
Company accused of hiding costs, faking testimonials, and blocking cancellations
Order mandates refunds, strict billing safeguards, and evidence for future claims

The Federal Trade Commission has given final approval to an enforcement order against telemedicine provider NextMed and two of its principals, requiring them to halt deceptive weight-loss marketing practices and overhaul their billing and cancellation systems.

In a July 2025 complaint, the agency alleged that NextMed, along with executives Robert Epstein and Frank Leonardo, capitalized on surging consumer demand for GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic. According to the FTC, the company lured consumers into weight-loss programs with hidden fees and undisclosed membership commitments.

Agency alleges fake reviews and inflated weight-loss claims

Regulators said NextMed made unsubstantiated promises about the weight loss its clients could expect and bolstered those claims with fabricated testimonials. The complaint also accused the company of manipulating online reviews to distort consumer perception.

The FTC further alleged that NextMed routinely failed to honor cancellation and refund requests, and charged consumers without obtaining their express informed consentsometimes initiating recurring debits without authorization.

Order mandates refunds and strict compliance rules

Under the final order, NextMed, Epstein, and Leonardo must pay $150,000, which is expected to be used to provide refunds to affected consumers. The order also imposes a series of requirements and prohibitions intended to prevent future misconduct. Among them:

• The company may not misrepresent the cost of telehealth services.

• Weight-loss claims must be supported by competent and reliable evidence.

• Reviews cannot be misrepresented as truthful or from real consumers, and the company must disclose any unexpected material connections with endorsers.

• Manipulating consumer reviews is expressly prohibited.

• The firm must obtain informed consent before billing consumers or initiating electronic fund transfers.

• All key cancellation and refund terms must be clearly disclosed before purchase, and the company must provide simple cancellation mechanisms and promptly honor compliant requests.

GLP-1 drugs and the weight-loss surge

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, but in recent years theyve become some of the most sought-after medications for chronic weight management. Branded versions such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Ozempic (also semaglutide, but approved for diabetes) mimic a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate appetite, slow gastric emptying, and improve blood sugar control. The result for many patients is substantial, sustained weight loss when the drugs are paired with behavioral changes.

Clinical trials for semaglutide have shown average weight reductions of 1015% of body weight over time, far surpassing results seen with older prescription diet drugs. That effectiveness has driven intense consumer interestand created an opportunity for telehealth startups to offer quick, online access to the medications.

But the boom has also raised concerns. GLP-1 drugs can be expensive, may require long-term use to maintain results, and carry potential side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and, more rarely, pancreatitis or gallbladder issues. At the same time, regulators have warned that some telehealth companies oversell benefits, obscure true costs, or fail to provide adequate medical oversight.

It is against this backdrop of soaring demand and increased scrutiny that the FTC has pursued cases like the one against NextMed, aiming to ensure consumers receive truthful marketing, transparent pricing, and legally required billing protections.

Companies have increased layoffs and reduced hiring plans

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. employers announced 71,321 November job cuts up 24% year over year but sharply lower than Octobers total.

• Year-to-date layoffs have surpassed 1.17 million, the highest level since 2020.

• Telecom, tech, food processing, services, and retail sectors drove the months deepest cuts, while hiring plans hit their lowest level since 2010.

U.S. employers announced 71,321 job cuts in November, a 24% increase from the same month last year but a steep 53% drop from Octobers surge, according to a report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Although layoffs eased month to month, November still marked the highest total for the month since 2022 and the eighth month this year in which cuts exceeded the prior years levels.

Layoff plans fell last month, certainly a positive sign, said Andy Challenger, the firms chief revenue officer. That said, job cuts in November have risen above 70,000 only twice since 2008: in 2022 and in 2008.

Historically, November tends to be a quieter month for workforce reductions. From 1993 through 2000, monthly cuts never exceeded 70,000. But during the 2001 recession, November layoffs spiked to more than 181,000 and remained elevated for much of the decade before stabilizing. That trend held until the pandemic restarted an era of volatility.

More than a million jobs lost

Through November 2025, employers have announced 1,170,821 job cuts, a 54% jump from the same period in 2024 and the highest year-to-date total since 2020, when COVID-19 disruptions drove more than 2.2 million cuts. This year becomes just the sixth since 1993 in which job reductions through November topped 1.1 million.

Several major industries reported sharp workforce reductions last month:

• Telecommunications led the pack with 15,139 cuts, largely tied to restructuring at Verizon. It was the sectors worst month since April 2020.

• Technology, which continues to dominate private-sector layoff counts, announced 12,377 cuts in November and has shed 153,536 jobs so far this year up 17% from 2024.

• Food companies, especially those handling beef products, announced 6,708 cuts in November.

• The Services sector, including cleaning, staffing, and outsourcing firms, recorded 5,509 cuts, more than doubling Octobers total.

• Retailers cut 3,290 jobs, with year-to-date layoffs up 139% amid weakening consumer demand, tariff uncertainty, and shifting shopping habits.

• Non-profits continued to suffer from funding reductions and lower donor activity, reporting 28,696 cuts this year a dramatic 409% increase.

• Media companies have announced 17,163 cuts, up 18%. Cuts within News, however, have fallen by half compared with 2024.

Why companies are cutting

Restructuring was the leading driver of November layoffs, accounting for 20,217 cuts. Store and unit closures followed with 17,140.

Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in workforce reductions, with 6,280 November cuts attributed to AI adoption and 54,694 so far this year part of 71,683 AI-linked job cuts since the reason first appeared in 2023.

Market and economic conditions accounted for 15,755 November cuts and 245,086 cuts this year. Tariffs were cited for another 7,908, including more than 2,000 in November alone.

The biggest driver of 2025 job cuts remains the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While the agency has not been cited in the past two months, its direct workforce reductions and contractor impacts have contributed to 293,753 layoffs this year. An additional 20,976 cuts stemmed from reduced federal funding labeled DOGE Downstream Impact.

Hiring plans at 15-year low

The news isnt any better for people looking for work. Even as layoffs remain high, hiring plans have sharply weakened. Employers have announced 497,151 planned hires through November, down 35% from 2024 and the lowest level since 2010.

Seasonal hiring has also slowed dramatically. Companies have announced 372,520 seasonal positions the smallest total since Challenger began tracking those figures in 2012. The firm found no new seasonal hiring plans in November, though holiday-driven spending spikes could prompt last-minute additions.

The increased spending over Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekend may give rise to hires in December, Challenger said. Its unclear, however, if those positions will last into the New Year.

The average rate is edging closer to 6%

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Mortgage rates continue to fall, with the 30-year fixed dropping to 6.19% and the 15-year fixed to 5.44%, creating a more favorable environment for buyers compared to last year.

• Affordability is improving as nearly 27% of major U.S. metros see year-over-year home price declines, especially in Southern and Western states that previously experienced rapid post-pandemic price growth.

• Market cooling is driven by rising inventory, softer buyer demand, and broader economic pressures, leading to slowing national price growth and, in some areas, modest price drops.

Home affordability continues to improve as home prices dip in some markets and mortgage rates continue to fall closer to the 6% level. Freddie Mac reports its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.19% this week.

Mortgage rates decreased for the second straight week as we emerged from the Thanksgiving holiday, said Sam Khater, Freddie Macs chief economist. Compared to this time last year, mortgage rates are half a percent lower, creating a more favorable environment for homebuyers and homeowners.

Latest rates

The 30-year FRM averaged 6.19% as of December 4, 2025, down from last week when it averaged 6.23%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.69%.

The 15-year FRM averaged 5.44%, down from last week when it averaged 5.51%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.96%.

While financing costs are improving for buyers, so are list prices, at least in a growing number of housing markets.

Industry sources show roughly 27% of the 300 largest U.S. metro housing markets are seeing year-over-year price drops.

Nationally, while home values are still inching up, the pace of growth has shrunk significantly in many places, there is effectively no growth or modest declines from last year.

The cooling seems concentrated in many Southern and Western metros especially in states such as Texas, Arizona, and California where there has been a large run-up in prices post-pandemic.

Factors contributing to softening include rising inventory, weakening buyer demand, and macroeconomic pressures such as higher mortgage rates and affordability constraints.