The committee helps set US guidelines and its recommendations are often adopted by federal health officials and heeded by doctors, the Associated Press reported.

May Prevent 100,000 Hepatitis A Cases

Currently, the US government recommends hepatitis A vaccinations for children in 17 states that had the highest rates of the disease. However, the impact of those vaccination campaigns seems to have leveled off and some health officials are worried that hepatitis A infection rates may rebound.

It's believed that expanding the vaccination effort across the United States may prevent 100,000 hepatitis A cases and 20 deaths in the lifetimes of children vaccinated in a single year, the AP reported.

The direct cost of the vaccination program would increase from $22 million to $134 million.

Children account for about 25 percent of hepatitis A cases, but many adults contract the disease from infected children. While rarely fatal, hepatitis A attacks the liver and can cause diarrhea, fever and jaundice.