Gov. Phil Murphy ’s administration announced Friday that New Jersey will continue to recommend the hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns at birth even though a panel appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and aligned with his views voted to change the policy .

Acting state Department of Health Commissioner Jeffrey A. Brown issued an executive directive continuing to recommend all newborns in New Jersey receive one dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

This comes in direct response to recommendations issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday that could drastically change how many children are protected from the highly contagious virus in the United States.

The federal

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