The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a federal group that sets vaccine guidelines, has updated its recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine in newborns. Since 1991, ACIP recommended that all newborns receive the vaccine soon after birth. This policy led to a large decrease in hepatitis B infections among children in the United States. Now, ACIP suggests that parents and healthcare providers should decide together whether to give the vaccine to newborns. This approach is called shared clinical decision-making.
The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) continues to recommend that all newborns in Denver receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. DDPHE bases this advice on research showing the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing liver disease and cancer later in life.
In Colorado, about one in three families do not receive early prenatal care. This means some parents may not know their hepatitis B status at the time of delivery. For these families, the birth dose of the vaccine may be the only way to protect the newborn from the virus…