The CDC adopted a new policy allowing for individual-based decision-making for hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. Parents may now choose whether to give their child the vaccine if the mother tests negative for the virus. For infants not receiving the birth dose, it is suggested that they be vaccinated no earlier than two months old.
Infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B are still encouraged to receive the birth dose of the vaccine.
“This recommendation reflects ACIP’s rigorous review of the available evidence,” said Acting Director of the CDC and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill. “We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.”
The CDC is also weighing whether parents should consult with a health care provider on whether a second vaccine dose is necessary.
Earlier this month, a vaccine advisory panel voted in an 8-3 decision to recommend that individual decision-making in health care decisions include whether or not an infant is to receive the Hep B inoculation.
Language surrounding the vote, as per Contemporary Pediatrics, was: “For infants born to HBsAg-negative women: ACIP recommends individual-based decision-making, in consultation with a health care provider, for parents deciding when or if to give the HBV vaccine, including the birth dose. Parents and health care providers should consider vaccine benefits, vaccine risks, and infection risks. For those not receiving the HBV birth dose, it is suggested that the initial dose is administered no earlier than 2 months of age.”
