State backs Hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns

Ahead of a federal vaccine advisory panel vote planned for next week, the state Department of Public Health issued a recommendation Tuesday to maintain universal hepatitis B immunizations for all newborns.

Gov. Maura Healey’s office said “[d]elaying the vaccine misses a crucial window of potential exposure, putting infants at risk.” Hepatitis B can result in long-term health issues, including chronic liver disease, liver cancer and cirrhosis and can be transmitted from infected mothers to newborns during birth, Healey’s office said.

“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,” state Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said. “This vaccine is safe and effective, and it has reduced hepatitis B in children and teens by 99% nationwide.”

Massachusetts continues to separate itself from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which on Dec. 5 could vote on delaying the hepatitis B vaccine to one month after birth. The panel postponed a vote in September, though members voted on a recommendation that all pregnant individuals be screened for hepatitis B, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

DPH’s recommendation calls for preserving the existing infant immunization schedule, which involves giving the birth dose within 24 hours of delivery and completing the full hepatitis B series within 18 months. The recommendation aligns with the recently established Northeast Public Health Collaborative, and guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Healey’s office said that “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.” A spending bill Healey signed Tuesday gives the DPH expanded flexibility to set immunization schedules.

The CDC currently recommends the hepatitis B vaccine for all infants. The CDC’s website says the vaccine is “safe and effective.”