US EditionData supports current US policy of hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, as officials push for change
A University of Minnesota review urges keeping the birth dose within 24 hours, citing a 95% drop in pediatric hepatitis B cases and warnings that delays risk increased infections and deaths.
- A birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, recommended for newborns since 1991, prevents infection from the mother if given within 24 hours.
- Before the vaccine was available in the 1980s, the hepatitis B virus claimed young lives with stunning speed in Alaskan communities.
- Widespread vaccination efforts led to the number of hepatitis B cases plummeting and liver cancer disappearing in children in western Alaska since 1995.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The high cost of delay: Study reveals health and financial risks of missed HepB vaccine
This week the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will consider delaying the infant hepatitis B (HepB) birth dose vaccine schedule. However, new research from Portland State University shows that even a short delay can lead to substantially more infections, severe long-term health complications and sharply increased health care spending.
New York health officials push for hepatitis B vaccine amid vote to change recommendations
New York health officials are continuing to stress the importance of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth ahead of a Thursday meeting by a federal committee set to possibly vote to change when it is administered to children.
What you should know about the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns
A vaccine that helps prevent liver disease is back in the spotlight as a federal advisory panel considers delaying the first shot for infants. The hepatitis B vaccine is a multi-dose series typically first administered at birth and then through the first months of infancy. The vaccine is safe and effective — it’s credited with preventing millions of infections since its addition to the childhood vaccine schedule. But the Advisory Committee on Im…
Evidence confirms U.S. newborn Hepatitis B vaccination policy amid calls to delay
An independent review of more than 400 studies confirms that the U.S. policy of providing the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns has reduced childhood infections by over 95%. Since its 1991 implementation, the birth-dose approach has prevented more than 6 million infections and almost 1 million hospitalizations. The CDCs advisory panel, recently reorganized by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will vote on the policy this week.
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