Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver with many causes, with the Hepatitis B virus one of the prominent culprits. Infection with this virus, often a subclinical one (i.e., one that is inapparent clinically) can result in chronic liver disease, cirrhosis (irreversible scarring of the liver), liver failure, liver cancer, and death.
A vaccine against the Hepatitis B virus was developed in the early 1980s. In 1991, administration of the vaccine became part of the routine vaccination regimen for children. In 1985, 26,654 cases of acute Hep B virus infection in children per year were reported. Today, the number of children infected with the virus in the U.S. is less than 400 per year, almost all of them in children not vaccinated against the disease. Mortality from the virus has been halved.
On Dec. 5, the newly constituted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP, which advises the CDC on vaccination policy) changed the previous CDC policy of recommending automatic Hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. Instead, the advice to patients will be based on “individual-based-decision-making.” This means parents should consult with their pediatrician about the decision to vaccinate against the Hepatitis B virus.
Here are some data: If given at birth (one dose, followed by two or three subsequent serial boosts), the vaccine reduces the risk of Hepatitis B by 98%, cancer by 84 percent and death from liver disease by 70 percent. The longer the interval from birth to the first administration of the vaccine, even if it is a matter of months, the worse the long-term outcomes.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/why-hepatitis-b-vaccination-begins-at-birth
James Whalen, MD, is an Oak Park resident. This was part of a blog entry from The Medical Beat (medicalbeat.net) on Oct. 10.