Congressional leaders urge CDC to monitor newborn vitamin K shot refusals

Two members of Congress have written to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requesting that the agency start collecting data on families who decline the vitamin K injection given to newborns. Representatives Kim Schrier of Washington and Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland sent the letter to CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya after a ProPublica investigation documented cases of severe bleeding and fatalities among infants whose parents refused the shot.

The lawmakers noted that the federal government currently lacks a system to track vitamin K refusal rates, related bleeding disorders, or associated deaths. They cited the long-standing recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has advised routine administration of the injection since 1961, and expressed concern that recent declines in uptake may be linked to growing mistrust of medical institutions.

"It was ProPublica’s reporting that gave us this additional information and led to us writing this important letter, and asking, of course, that CDC take action," Alsobrooks said in an interview.

Alsobrooks also called on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to publicly affirm the safety and effectiveness of the injection, a request the secretary has not fulfilled.

An HHS spokesperson reiterated that the CDC recommends administering the vitamin K shot within six hours of birth to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding, and noted that refusal rates have risen as public confidence in health care institutions has waned.

The American Academy of Pediatrics praised the congressional inquiry, with President Dr. Andrew Racine stating that reliable data are essential for clinicians to identify areas with higher refusal rates and respond promptly to bleeding emergencies. He likened the need for tracking to existing measles surveillance systems.

Research cited by the article indicates that infants who do not receive the vitamin K injection are 81 times more likely to develop late vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a condition that can cause brain hemorrhage and has a mortality rate of about 20 percent. A national study of more than 5 million births found that the proportion of babies not receiving the shot exceeded 5 percent in 2024, with some hospitals reporting that refusal rates have more than doubled in recent years.

Schrier and Alsobrooks argued that, unlike in the past, the current lack of monitoring hampers the ability to assess the scope of the problem and to design effective public-health messaging. They urged the CDC to use its existing tools to collect and disseminate accurate information to parents and health-care providers.