Administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns within the first day of life is a simple step that significantly reduces the risk of chronic infection and disease. The vaccine protects newborns from hepatitis B – a virus that can cause lifelong liver disease and cancer. A mother may unknowingly pass the disease along to the newborn.
The birth dose vaccination, which has been recommended within 24 hours of giving birth for all children since the 1990s, has been credited with driving down cases of acute hepatitis B infections in children by 99%. The vaccine administered at birth has been proven safe and effective and remains strongly recommended by medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The recent decision by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to advise that only babies born to women who test positive for hepatitis B should get the first dose within 24 hours of delivery puts the health of thousands of babies at risk.
The New Jersey Department of Health has issued an Executive Directive clarifying that the Department continues to recommend that providers continue to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts to administer the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns. The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey applauds the New Jersey Department of Health for its efforts to ensure that every baby born in New Jersey has access to this critical vaccine.
“The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine has virtually eliminated infant infections in the US and has prevented thousands of cases of illness and premature death. I am heartened that Gov. Murphy and Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown have taken a strong stance in favor of recommending the hepatitis B birth dose for all children born in New Jersey,” stated Joseph V. Schwab, Jr, MD, MPH, FAAP, pediatrician at University Hospital and the Partnership’s Chair of the Board of Trustees. “This safe and effective vaccine will prevent hundreds of new infections in children, saving them from serious illness, years of suffering, and premature death.”
Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, MA, BSN, the Partnership’s President & CEO, shared, “Every baby deserves protection from preventable diseases starting on their first day of life, delaying the hepatitis birth dose puts infants at unnecessary risk. Our communities deserve better.”
We stand united with the New Jersey Department of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes, our member hospitals and countless other health experts in calling for a reversal of this decision to protect the health of infants. Our nurses, community health workers, home visitors, and health educators will continue to work to educate people across our region about the importance of childhood vaccines.
Read the complete statement from the New Jersey Department of Health here.