New York’s hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for infants and children remain unchanged following a federal vaccine advisory committee’s vote Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born, the state Department of Health said.
The committee voted Friday to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive; for other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors to decide if a birth dose is appropriate.
The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim O’Neill, is expected to decide later whether to accept the committee’s recommendation.
“Newborn hepatitis B vaccination is a cornerstone of preventive care for infants, and our recommendations in New York State have not changed,” said state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “The birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective and essential. We continue to recommend that every baby receive this vaccine within 24 hours of delivery, and that infants born to a person with hepatitis B receive it within 12 hours. These practices save lives, and New York remains committed to evidence-based policies that protect our most vulnerable residents.”
New York recommends a birth dose within 24 hours for all newborns, and a birth dose and within 12 hours for infants born to a birthing parent who tests positive or whose hepatitis B status is unknown.