Newborn Vaccine Debate: Should Hepatitis B Shots Wait?

A group of health experts is debating whether newborns should still receive the hepatitis B vaccine right after birth. This vaccine is special because it's the first one designed to prevent cancer. Currently, health guidelines suggest that all babies get this shot within their first day of life. However, there's a chance these guidelines might change, which would go against previous health advice. No one is quite sure what the committee is planning, but the American Academy of Pediatrics will still recommend the birth dose. They believe it saves lives. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection. For most people, it goes away in less than six months. But for some, especially babies and young children, it can become a long-term problem. This can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, and scarring called cirrhosis. The virus spreads through sex or sharing needles in adults. But it can also pass from an infected mother to her baby. Up to 90% of infants who get hepatitis B will have it for life. About 2. 4 million people in the U. S. have hepatitis B, and half of them don't know it. Dr. Baruch Blumberg discovered the virus in 1965 and won a Nobel Prize for it. The first hepatitis B vaccine was approved in the U. S. in 1981. For years, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has influenced vaccine guidelines. In 1991, they recommended the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The guidelines have changed a bit over time, but they still suggest a dose within 24 hours of birth for all healthy babies who weigh at least 4. 4 pounds. This is because screening expectant mothers for the virus often misses cases. Also, the virus can live on surfaces for more than a week, so unvaccinated children can easily catch it. Newborn hepatitis B vaccinations have been a big success. Over about 30 years, cases among children dropped from about 18, 000 per year to about 2, 200. A group called the Vaccine Integrity Project looked at over 400 studies and reports. They found that the birth dose is safe and has helped reduce pediatric hepatitis B infections in the U. S. The committee is now reconsidering the newborn recommendation. The panel has questions about giving a vaccine to a baby so early in life. They wonder if they are asking babies to solve an adult problem. They also question the lack of informed consent for this medical procedure. The committee postponed a vote in September, but it's expected to make a decision soon. Federal officials haven't said exactly what changes they are considering or what research they are using. If the shots are delayed, it's hard to predict the impact. But some researchers estimate that delaying the birth dose to 2 months could result in at least 1, 400 hepatitis B infections in children and 480 deaths. The report hasn't been reviewed or published yet. However, any change in the recommendation may not have a big impact. The committee's main influence is over the government's Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B shots are often included in the hospital bill for childbirth. So, a new recommendation might not stop the current practice at many hospitals. But any change could confuse and scare parents. Several medical and public health organizations, as well as some state officials, have said that changing the recommendation is a bad idea. They believe it could lead to more infections and deaths. U. S. Sen. Patty Murray has called on Congress to make the health secretary explain the committee's actions.