CDC approves ending recommendation for hepatitis B shot at birth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved ending its recommendation of 34 years for infants to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, pushing it until a baby is at least 2 months old if they are born to mothers who test negative for the virus.

The Department of Health and Human Services said in the announcement on Tuesday that parents and healthcare providers should consider vaccine benefits, vaccine risks, and infection risks when deciding if their child will begin the hepatitis B vaccine series. Infection risks include a household member who has hepatitis B or frequent contact with people who have emigrated from countries where hepatitis B is common.

Acting CDC Director and Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill approved the updated recommendation after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this month voted 8-2 to recommend individual decision-making regarding newborns taking the hepatitis B vaccine.

“This recommendation reflects ACIP’s rigorous review of the available evidence,” O'Neill said in a statement. “We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.”

The currently recommended birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and immunoglobulin is unchanged for infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown.