Business
RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel postpones vote on whether to delay babies’ first hepatitis B shot
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked vaccine panel on Friday postponed a vote on whether to delay the first dose of the hepatitis B shot from birth to at least one month for most babies born in the U.S.
The decision means that the committee’s current recommendation – that all infants receive a hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth – will stay in place until the group meets again at a later date. It’s unclear when the panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, will convene again to discuss the hepatitis B shot.
ACIP was considering whether to delay the first dose of the vaccine until at least one month of age for babies of women who test negative for hepatitis B. That would change a safe and highly effective birth dose recommendation that was introduced in 1991 and is credited with virtually eliminating the disease in young kids.
Some advisors defended the birth dose recommendation during the meeting, saying that delaying it could introduce potential risks to babies, including more infections. But others, particularly those who are known vaccine critics, cast doubt on the safety of administering the vaccine to babies so soon.
Dr. Robert Malone, who gained notoriety for promoting Covid misinformation, brought the motion to postpone the vote.
“I believe that there’s enough ambiguity here and enough remaining discussion about safety, effectiveness and timing that I believe that a vote today would be premature,” Malone said.
All 12 members supported the motion. Dr. Cody Meissner, a professor of pediatrics at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, said, “I don’t think there’s any question whatsoever that the benefit [of the birth dose] far outweighs any adverse side effects.”
The postponed vote only affects the timing of the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine series. The second would still be given one-to-two months after birth, with a third dose between six and 18 months of age.
Also on Friday, the group voted to recommend hepatitis B testing for all pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose most recent director was ousted by the Trump administration, has to sign off on the committee’s new and future recommendations.
The panel’s closely watched two-day meeting in Atlanta comes after Kennedy gutted the committee and appointed 12 new members, including some well-known vaccine critics. ACIP sets recommendations on who should receive certain shots and which vaccines insurers must cover at no cost, raising concerns among health experts that Kennedy’s reshaped panel could curb access to safe and effective immunizations.
The hepatitis B shot has been a life-saving public health intervention against the disease, which can lead to severe health problems, including liver cancer and failure, and death. Acute hepatitis B infections reported among children and teens dropped by 99% between 1990 and 2019, some studies said. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the so-called birth dose is critical to reduce chronic hepatitis B later in life.
On Thursday, advisors and other scientific experts clashed over the safety of the birth dose.
“I believe that this vaccine is absolutely critical for babies that are treated,” said member Retsef Levi, who has been vocal about his opposition to RNA vaccines. “But this notion that we sit here with very lousy evidence and argue there is no problem whatsoever [with administering the shot at birth] is not building trust, and it’s not scientific and it’s not what the public here should expect from us.”
But Meissner said that changing the recommendation will “increase the risk of harm based on no evidence of benefit.” He said there will be fewer children who get the full hepatitis B vaccine series, adding that administering the shot at birth in the hospital ensures that babies at least receive their first dose.
“As people have asked, why would we pick one month? Why two? There’s no evidence that it’s safer at a later time,” Meissner said. “It’s an extremely safe vaccine, a very pure vaccine. So I think we will be creating new doubts in the minds of the public that are not justified.”
Ahead of the vote, the American Medical Association strongly urged the panel to keep the birth dose recommendation in place. Other experts outside of the panel also expressed concern about changing the guidance.
“I have not seen any data that says that there is benefit to the infant of waiting a month but there are a number of potential harms to the incident of waiting a month,” said Dr. Adam Langer, a CDC epidemiologist who gave a presentation on the hepatitis B birth dose, ahead of the vote.
During his presentation, Langer said, “the sooner that the hepatitis B vaccine is provided after birth, the greater its effectiveness in preventing perinatal transmission.” That refers to when an infant becomes infected from its mother during birth.
Merck, which manufactures one of the vaccines used starting at birth, pushed back on the proposed recommendation ahead of the panel’s official vote on Thursday.
“The reconsideration of the newborn Hepatitis B vaccination on the established schedule poses a grave risk to the health of children and to the public, which could lead to a resurgence of preventable infectious diseases,” Dr. Richard Haupt, Merck’s head of global medical and scientific affairs for vaccines and infectious diseases, said during the meeting.
GSK manufactures another hepatitis B shot starting at birth.
Business
Gold price prediction: Why are gold prices rallying again and what’s the outlook? Top levels investors should watch out for – The Times of India
Gold price prediction: Gold prices are rallying again on the hopes of US Federal Reserve rate cut expectations, and China’s gold buying. However, Praveen Singh, Senior Fundamental Research Analyst- Currencies and Commodities at Mirae Asset Sharekhan recommends buying the dip, rather than chasing the rally. The analyst shares his views on gold price outlook and what levels investors should watch out for:Gold Performance:
- Although expectations of the ongoing US shutdown ending soon boosted risk appetite, spot gold extended its Friday’s rally to surge sharply higher on Monday on the Fed rate cut expectations, wobbly US Dollar and China’s Central Bank adding gold reserves for 12th month in a row in October.
- Gold gained on inflation concerns also as President Donald Trump once again floated the idea of sending Americans rebate checks of at least $2000 a person (excluding high income people) for the tariffs that his administration has collected.
- At the time of writing this article, spot gold was trading with a huge daily gain of 2.34% at $4,096, while
MCX Gold December contract at Rs 123,707 was up 2.07%. - In the week ending November 7, spot gold prices posted a weekly loss of $1 to close at $4001, which amounts to a third straight weekly loss per se.
US Shutdown likely to end:
- On November 9, the US Senate advanced a plan to end the longest-ever US government shutdown that entered the week. A faction of moderate democrats defied their party leaders and voted to support a deal to end the ongoing shutdown.
- As flight disruptions have worsened due heavy snow, the ongoing shutdown may intensify the stress on the US air-traffic system ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period as controllers may have to continue to work without pay checks.
Fedspeak:
- Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis President Musalem expects the US economy to bounce back strongly early next year due to rate cuts, fiscal support, deregulation and the government shutdown ending. He urged the Fed officials to be cautious on additional rate cuts as he thinks that the current Fed policy is close to the level where it would not put any downward pressure on inflation.
- On the contrary, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly warned against keeping interest rates too high for too long due to softening labour market and moderating wage growth.
US Dollar Index and yields:
- At the time of writing this article, the US Dollar Index at 99.72 was up around 0.15% for the day. Day’s low has been 99.45.
- Ten-year US yields at 4.11% were up by around 1.50 bps, while 2-year yields at 3.59% were up by around 3 bps.
US Data roundup:
- US employment report has not been published in November, which makes it the second month without a national employment report.
- Bloomberg estimates that depending on the US government reopening date, September employment report may be published on November 19/November 26. Even then the report may not offer true picture due to uncertainty over Federal government employment figures. Other reports will also be delayed.
- October CPI report may not be released though.
- Data released in the week ending November 7 were largely mixed as US ISM manufacturing trailed the forecast and contracted for the seventh straight month in October, while ISM services at 52.40 beat the forecast of 50.80 to rise at the fastest pace since February.
- University of Michigan Consumer sentiment fell from 53.60 in October to 50.30 in November, near record-low and even lower than 2008 global financial crisis and Covid levels.
- It is to be noted that ADP data released last week showed that US companies added 42K jobs in October, which signalled a moderate stabilization in the US job market. Challenger job cuts report showed almost 950,000 US job cuts this year through September, the highest year-to-date total since 2020.
Gold ETFs and COMEX inventory:
- Total known global gold ETF holdings rose for two straight days through November 7 to 97.24 MOz, though were down for the third consecutive weeks. Nonetheless, holdings are up 17.36% this year and are hovering around 3-year high level.
- China’s domestic gold ETF holdings rose by 79.015 tons in January to September period, which is a steep rise compared to the 29.927 tons-gain during the same period last year.
- COMEX gold eligible inventory at 17.94Moz is around the lowest level since April.
China’s Central Bank buys gold for the 12th month in a row:
- China’s official gold reserves stood at 74.09 MOz at the end of October, up from 74.06 MOz a month earlier, which means that PBoC bought nearly one ton of gold in October.
- Uzbekistan’s gold reserves reached $47.85 billion October, a record high for the fourth straight month.
China’s gold consumption dips:
- According to a statement from the China Gold Association, the nation’s gold consumption dropped 7.95% y-o-y to 682.73 tons in the January-September period.
Gold Price Outlook:
- A possible end to the US government shutdown has turned investors’ attention back to the Fed rate expectations in October as the upcoming US data may show deteriorating economy.
- Gold is benefiting due to China extending its buying spree and inflation concerns, too.
- However, steady US yields and Dollar may limit the gains barring
- In the very short-term, gold is expected to test the strong resistance around $4160, a successful breach of which would open the way to test the resistance in $4190-$4200 zone.
- Dip buying is preferred over chasing the rally.
- Support is at $4075/$4025/$3990.
Silver: Sharply up
- MCX Silver December contract surged to 153,650, up 4% for the day.
- The metal may test the resistance around Rs 158,500 as it has taken out the strong resistance at $49.30 (Rs 150,000), which will act as a support now.
- Next support comes in at $48.50 (Rs 148,000).
- Dip buying is preferred over chasing the current rally.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
Stephanie MiskinBBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Investigations
BBCFor single mum-of-four Abi, the debts she has built up by using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have left her trapped in a “vicious circle”.
Abi, from Sheffield, is one of a number of people who spoke to the BBC about the money they owe after using BNPL to purchase basic goods, including groceries and school uniforms.
Five leading debt support organisations say they are seeing a rise in the number of families needing help with the type of debt racked up through apps such as Klarna, Zilch and Clearpay.
About 1.6m people in the UK used these methods to spread the cost of their household bills this summer, according to research by debt charity Stepchange.
Buy now, pay later services say their products have safeguards to help customers manage their spending and they offer support for those who get into financial difficulty.
‘I’m trapped in a vicious circle’
BNPL allows shoppers to spread the cost of purchases over weeks or months, using interest-free credit. But debts can mount if people miss payments.
From next year all BNPL apps will be regulated, leading to stricter affordability checks.
But in the meantime, debt advisors say people are using them “unsustainably” to “plug the gap” in their budgets.
Soft credit checks mean BNPL providers are often not told if people are borrowing from elsewhere – so they sanction loans without knowing a customer’s wider situation.
Abi started using BNPL when she hit tough financial times.
“There’s a temptation to go ‘oh I’ll just use that today and when I get paid, I’ll pay it off’ – and extend it over a few months,” says Abi, who is training to become a barber.
“Then you have to go back and live on it and then do it again.”
The 37-year-old, who cannot use credit cards because of other existing debts, began using BNPL three years ago to make larger purchases.
She now uses multiple BNPL apps to buy everyday items including pet food, bus passes and groceries – choosing which supermarkets to go to based on which she can get BNPL vouchers for.
Abi regularly buys a weekly travel pass, costing £40, using a BNPL card at the checkout.
She pays an initial fee of about £5 which allows her to spread the cost over several payments. Another fee is then applied if repayments are delayed.
Abi has faced additional fees and interest after deferring multiple repayments and now owes BNPL firms about £3,000.
Five leading debt advice groups say referrals related to BNPL debts are increasing.
Debt counselling service Money Wellness says it helped 44% more people with buy now pay later debts in the year ending in September 2025 than it did in the previous 12 months, which it describes as a “huge spike”.
The National Debtline and Business Adviceline, which are run by the Money Advice Trust, supported 11,000 people in the same period with debts of this kind.
Citizens Advice says it has seen a 48% year-on-year increase, and Christians Against Poverty says 14% of its clients had BNPL debts in 2024, up from 9% in 2023.
Tom Gibbons, from Money Wellness, says the rising cost of living has “pushed people’s budgets to the limit”.
Food prices have increased by 37% in five years, meaning a food shop costing £10 five years ago would now cost £13.70.
Mr Gibbons says Money Wellness is seeing more young single women with children seeking help with BNPL debts as they try to “plug the gap and can’t make ends meet”.
Abi has begun applying for a debt relief order, which would freeze her debts for 12 months. If her financial situation does not change, those debts may be written off, but her credit file will be affected for six years.
In August, a record monthly high of more than 4,200 debt relief orders were approved.
Jennifer, not her real name, owed £5,000 through BNPL before she was approved for a debt relief order in July.
The 26-year-old single parent from West Yorkshire says it has given her a “fresh start” and she no longer lives in fear of phone calls from debt collectors.
“I can finally breathe again,” she says.
She is one of many who told the BBC that accessing BNPL “was too easy”, adding: “You fall into a pattern, and before you know it, it’s a huge problem.”
But not everyone who uses BNPL has spiralling debts.
Danielle, a single mum of five and home care assistant from Rotherham, says she is “responsible with it” and only uses what she can afford to pay back.
Where she would once turn to a food bank or borrow money from family in the run up to payday, she now uses BNPL apps to buy essentials such as shoes and school uniforms for her children.
“I do know people who use it and worry about how they will pay it back, but I don’t want to end up paying money out to BNPL and then having nothing to live off,” says Danielle.
“In the past I’d be worrying and I’d be one of the last parents buying the bare minimum of what I could afford. Now as soon as they finish school I go out and buy all the uniform.”
Many people who spoke to the BBC never imagined they would find themselves in debt.
Mr Gibbons says: “All it takes is an accident and you’re off work, or made redundant and then all of a sudden you’ve got no money coming in and you’re still going to have find the money to pay BNPL.”
In response to the BBC investigation, a spokesperson for Klarna says the firm would welcome new regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) next year and its “products are designed to help consumers avoid getting trapped in debt”.
If payments are missed, access to further credit is then restricted, they say.
Zilch, which is a regulated FCA lender, says it has “affordability safeguards in place” to ensure its customers “are using our product responsibly”.
- Details of organisations offering help and support with debt are available via the BBC Action Line.
Morrisons has said it will shut 52 of its in-store cafes along with some of its convenience stores, florists, meat and fish counters and pharmacies.
Eighteen market kitchens, 17 convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies will also be affected.
The supermarket said the closures are part of a shake-up which will result in 365 people facing redundancy.
Full Morrisons store closure list
Cafes
Bradford Thornbury – West Yorkshire
Paisley Falside Rd – Renfrewshire, Scotland
London Queensbury – Greater London
Portsmouth – Hampshire
Great Park – Tyne and Wear
Banchory North Deeside Rd – Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Failsworth Poplar Street – Greater Manchester
Blackburn Railway Road – Lancashire
Leeds Swinnow Rd – West Yorkshire
London Wood Green – Greater London
Kirkham Poulton St – Lancashire
Lutterworth Bitteswell Rd – Leicestershire
Stirchley – West Midlands
Leeds Horsforth – West Yorkshire
London Erith – Greater London
Crowborough – East Sussex
Bellshill John St – North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Dumbarton Glasgow Rd – West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
East Kilbride Lindsayfield – South Lanarkshire, Scotland
East Kilbride Stewartfield – South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Glasgow Newlands – Glasgow, Scotland
Largs Irvine Rd – North Ayrshire, Scotland
Troon Academy St – South Ayrshire, Scotland
Wishaw Kirk Rd – North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Newcastle upon Tyne Cowgate – Tyne and Wear
Northampton Kettering Road – Northamptonshire
Bromsgrove Buntsford Ind Pk – Worcestershire
Solihull Warwick Rd – West Midlands
Brecon Free St – Powys, Wales
Caernarfon North Rd – Gwynedd, Wales
Hadleigh – Suffolk
Harrow, Hatch End – Greater London
High Wycombe Temple End – Buckinghamshire
Leighton Buzzard Lake St – Bedfordshire
London Stratford – Greater London
Sidcup Westwood Lane – Greater London
Welwyn Garden City Black Fan Rd – Hertfordshire
Warminster Weymouth St – Wiltshire
Oxted Station Yard – Surrey
Reigate Bell St – Surrey
Borehamwood – Hertfordshire
Weybridge, Monument Hill – Surrey
Bathgate – West Lothian, Scotland
Erskine Bridgewater SC – Renfrewshire, Scotland
Gorleston Blackwell Road – Norfolk
Connah’s Quay – Flintshire, Wales
Mansfield Woodhouse – Nottinghamshire
Elland – West Yorkshire
Gloucester – Metz Way – Gloucestershire
Watford – Ascot Road – Hertfordshire
Littlehampton – Wick – West Sussex
Helensburgh – Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Morrisons Daily convenience stores
Gorleston Lowestoft Road – Norfolk
Peebles 3-5 Old Town – Scottish Borders, Scotland
Shenfield 214 Hutton Road – Essex
Poole Waterloo Estate – Dorset
Tonbridge Higham Lane Est – Kent
Romsey The Cornmarket – Hampshire
Stewarton Lainshaw Street – East Ayrshire, Scotland
Selsdon Featherbed Lane – Greater London
Haxby Village – North Yorkshire
Great Barr Queslett Rd – West Midlands
Whickham Oakfield Road – Tyne and Wear
Worle – Somerset
Goring-By-Sea Strand Parade – West Sussex
Woking Westfield Road – Surrey
Wokingham 40 Peach Street – Berkshire
Exeter 51 Sidwell Street – Devon
Bath Moorland Road – Somerset
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