John Ellis was 16 when frequent stomach pains led to an unexpected diagnosis.
His mother suggested they go to the doctor, and after a series of tests, the results took even Mr Ellis's mother, a nurse of 30 years, by surprise: Mr Ellis had hepatitis B.
Born in 1990, just a year before the US began universally vaccinating against the virus right after birth, Mr Ellis had contracted the virus sometime before he got the shot at age 12.
"My mom and my initial reaction was, 'Is that even something that people get anymore?'" he said. "That was kind of a dark time for me, being a teenager and having to navigate conversations with friends and family about this chronic illness that a lot of people just aren't familiar with."
The US could soon return to a time where vaccinations against hepatitis B are no longer recommended for newborns. The leader of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip), an expert panel that makes vaccine recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Washington Post this week that the group would vote to delay the shots for newborns to a later, undetermined time. The panel is set to vote on the matter on Thursday evening.
