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2d ago

CDC Ends Universal Hepatitis B Birth‑Dose Recommendation for Newborns

Adopted after an 8–3 advisory vote, the shift leaves the birth‑dose decision to families of hepatitis B–negative mothers, drawing opposition from medical groups with pushback from states like Illinois.

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Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the state health department, speaks before Gov. JB Prtizker signed Illinois House Bill 767 on Dec. 2, 2025, at the Illinois Department of Human Rights office in Chicago’s West Loop. The legislation formally establishes a process for state-level vaccine guidelines and expands pharmacy access to COVID-19 and other shots for young children across Illinois. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill accepted the ACIP recommendation, formally reversing the three‑decade policy that newborns routinely receive a hepatitis B dose at birth.
  • Babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown remain recommended to receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
  • For infants of mothers who test negative, the guidance calls for shared decision‑making; if the birth dose is declined, the first shot is now suggested at no earlier than two months of age.
  • Major medical groups including the AAP and AMA condemned the change, citing decades of data showing large declines in pediatric hepatitis B and modeling that projects more preventable infections.
  • Illinois’ immunization advisory committee voted unanimously to keep recommending a birth dose within 24 hours, creating a state–federal split as officials work to formalize state guidance; insurers and the Vaccines for Children program say coverage continues.