Why Do Babies Need the Hepatitis B Vaccine, and Is It Necessary?

In yet another breathtakingly irresponsible move from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the organization's committee that provides public guidance on the use of vaccines to halt preventable diseases has voted to remove its Hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for infants under 2 months old.

This staggeringly reckless decision is no surprise, given the anti-vaccination views of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

As America's moms collectively cry out for a healthier country, their obedience towards this latest rescission of a public health recommendation for their infants may be a litmus test for what comes next for this country's eroding health.

Below, we report on the CDC's decision to revoke its recommendation for the Hepatitis B vaccine for infants under the age of 2 months old.

According to a resource from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, "Without vaccination, as many as 9 in 10 infants infected with Hepatitis B in their first year of life will develop chronic infection that can lead to liver failure and death."

Despite this fact, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) announced on Dec. 5 that it has rescinded its recommendation for the Hepatitis B vaccine for infants under the age of 2 months old.

According to Shikha Jain, M.D., a board-certified oncology physician, "Hepatitis B spreads through microscopic amounts of blood or bodily fluids—so tiny you cannot see them," she told Green Matters exclusively. "Newborns and infants often put their hands and objects in their mouths, and if those items have even trace amounts of the virus, transmission can occur. The virus can live on surfaces for days, which increases the risk in a household where someone may be unknowingly infected."

As Dr. Jain explained, Hepatitis B is an extremely contagious virus that can cause chronic infection, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. "Many people assume babies can only be exposed during childbirth, but exposure can also happen in the days, weeks, and months after birth in ways that are common in everyday life."

Early protection, therefore, is crucial.

"The result, if approved by the CDC's acting director, will be a rollback of a universal recommendation to start Hepatitis B immunization at birth, a standard practice in the U.S. for more than 30 years that has been credited with dramatically lowering liver diseases caused by the virus," according to a startling report by NPR.

The consequences, as you might imagine, could be disastrous.

Now, the Hepatitis B vaccine will be recommended only for infants who are born to mothers who have tested positive for the virus, or if the mother's status is unknown.

"Babies are uniquely vulnerable because their immune systems are not fully developed. If an infant is exposed to Hepatitis B, the chance of developing a lifelong, chronic infection is extremely high—up to 90 percent," Dr. Jain said.

As Dr. Jain explains, "The hepatitis B vaccine at birth is not just necessary—it is one of the most effective and equitable public health interventions we have. It protects babies right away, protects families, and prevents a preventable cancer."

Per the Hepatitis B Foundation, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccine requirements exist as a requirement to enroll in daycare or school. Legally, though, there are pathways for families seeking exemptions to these requirements.

"Most states currently require children be vaccinated against Hepatitis B to attend daycare or school; all permit medical exemptions, and most allow families to claim religious or personal exemptions," POLITICO explains.

Another confounding variable is that maternal testing is imperfect, with pregnant individuals sometimes not receiving the care they need, or being tested late or incorrectly, Dr. Jain explained.

"Universal newborn vaccination solves this problem. It provides immediate, reliable protection regardless of a family’s access to care, insurance status, or whether the maternal test was done correctly. Decades of data show that vaccinating babies at birth dramatically reduces infections and prevents liver cancer later in life," Dr. Jain said.