The Maryland Health Department has issued a statewide hepatitis B standing order that authorizes qualified health professionals to administer the vaccine to infants and children.
This order comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 on Friday to recommend eliminating the recommended schedule for administering the hepatitis B birth dose.
The CDC currently recommends that nearly all newborns receive the shot as part of routine care. ACIP is now recommending the elimination of the CDC’s universal recommendation for the birth dose…