The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) issued an advisory reaffirming that all newborns should receive the full hepatitis B vaccination series beginning at birth, a position it underscored after a federal vaccine committee voted to end the longstanding national recommendation for universal newborn hepatitis B immunization.
MDH also issued a standing order to ensure statewide vaccine access and highlighted additional efforts to support evidence-based vaccination guidance for providers and families.
Per the news release distributed on Friday, December 5: “The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today issued an advisory to health care professionals and birthing hospitals reiterating the importance of administering the full vaccination series for hepatitis B for all infants, beginning at birth, in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations. The Department also issued a standing order, essentially a prescription, to ensure hepatitis B vaccine access for infants and children ages 0-18 across Maryland, as well as guidance to parents and caregivers on the recommended childhood vaccine schedule…