Last week, the Massachusetts state government along with the Department of Public Health discussed the importance of of maintaining the existing hepatitis B vaccine schedule to safeguard newborns.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is issuing its recommendation ahead of the scheduled meeting of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on December 4 and 5. At that meeting, ACIP has proposed a discussion of and potential vote on changing the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. Massachusetts is committed to taking all necessary steps to preserve continued access to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, regardless of any future ACIP action.
Currently, the schedule includes a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery, regardless of the hepatitis B infection status of the parent, and completion of the full vaccination series within the first 18 months of life.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can lead to serious long-term health problems, including chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Because the virus can be passed from an infected mother to the baby during birth, newborns are at particular risk of developing lifelong infection.
Administering the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and completing the full hepatitis B vaccine series in the first 18 months of life protects infants and children during a vulnerable time of their lives. Delaying vaccination misses a crucial window of potential exposure, putting infants at risk. Clinicians should continue to offer hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns at birth and administer the full vaccination series in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations.
“For more than three decades, the hepatitis B birth dose has been a critical safety net for families, preventing infections that can pass unknowingly from parent to child. This vaccine is safe and effective, and it has reduced hepatitis B in children and teens by 99% nationwide,” said Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “Our responsibility is to use the best science to protect every person we serve – and newborns deserve the strongest start we can give them. The science here is clear: this vaccine is safe and effective – and it saves lives.”
“As a practicing infectious disease doctor, I have cared for patients suffering with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B. Becoming infected as a newborn can lead to a lifetime of severe liver disease, including liver failure, and is almost entirely preventable,” said Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH, FIDSA, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. “Our goal is to ensure that our residents have access to every evidence-based tool available to keep families and children healthy. Universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth followed by completion of the vaccination series has proven to be a highly safe and effective way to protect infants and children from infection.”