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Hepatitis B is a silent liver infection that can cause serious illness, including cancer. A pediatric infectious disease expert explains how it spreads, why the vaccine is given at birth, and how it protects babies for life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel on Friday rolled back a decadeslong recommendation that all newborns get a first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

The vote came after a day and a half of heated debate and confusion that included misinterpreted data and pleas from public health experts to uphold recommendations for the vaccine that protects against an incurable infection.

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The panel, formally known as

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