Hepatitis B vaccine recommendation changes could leave millions vulnerable: Study
Summary
Federal changes to the hepatitis B vaccine recommendations removed the rule to vaccinate all newborns, which may lead to more infections in children and leave millions vulnerable. A recent study shows that delaying vaccination or making it optional based on shared decisions could increase cases of chronic hepatitis B.Key Facts
- The CDC stopped recommending universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns in late 2025.
- Hepatitis B is a virus that damages the liver and can cause lifelong illness.
- Babies infected at birth have a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B.
- Since newborn vaccination began in 1991, infant infections have dropped by 99%.
- Researchers modeled the impact on 3.6 million U.S. babies born in 2026.
- Delaying the vaccine until 2 months could increase chronic infections by 19%.
- Using shared decision-making instead of routine vaccination might raise infections by 83%.
- Up to 1.8 million young adults could be vulnerable to hepatitis B due to these changes.
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