Colorado health officials and UCHealth experts are urging parents to continue vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth, despite a recent shift in federal recommendations. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel recently voted to replace the universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination in newborns with a policy called “shared decision-making.” This change is expected to result in fewer infants receiving the vaccine.
Dr. Anna Euser, who practices at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and serves as an associate professor of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, expressed concern about the new approach. “If babies contract hepatitis B either during birth or shortly after birth, there’s a much, much higher chance that they’ll have it for the rest of their lives — and as a chronic condition, which has the higher risk for liver cancer, cirrhosis, etc.,” Euser said.
Euser explained that since the universal birth dose recommendation was introduced in 1991, childhood hepatitis B infections in the United States have declined by 99%. She noted that many people with hepatitis B are unaware they have it, increasing the risk of transmission from mother to child around childbirth. The virus is highly transmissible—even dried fluids on personal items like razors or toothbrushes can spread it.
“The other big-picture health benefit of giving it to every baby as a universal vaccine is that we’re not missing somebody who might not have had prenatal care or contracted hepatitis B since they had their prenatal labs,” Euser said. “We want to make sure that every baby is protected, so they have a much lower chance of hepatitis B becoming a chronic, lifelong condition.”
She added her personal perspective: “I did it for my kids,” Euser said. “I wanted them to be protected against anything we could possibly protect them from.”
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended universal newborn vaccination since 1991. However, recent changes by federal officials at agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CDC have led to concerns among medical professionals nationwide. State public health agencies such as Colorado’s continue to support universal vaccination.
Experts warn that moving away from universal recommendations could undermine confidence in vaccines and potentially affect private insurance coverage for newborn vaccinations; currently, insurers must cover vaccines recommended by ACIP without out-of-pocket costs.
Hepatitis B is a virus transmitted through bodily fluids that attacks the liver. Newborns infected at birth or within their first year face a 90% chance of developing chronic infection—25% of whom may die from related diseases such as liver cancer or cirrhosis later in life.
Medical providers advise parents with questions about hepatitis B vaccination to consult with their healthcare professionals for guidance on keeping both mothers and infants safe.
