An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday voted to narrow its recommendations for hepatitis B vaccines. But the Arizona Department of Health Services said it will still encourage the vaccine for all babies in the state.
“ADHS will continue recommending the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. We feel that not providing this vaccine is a huge missed opportunity that could potentially put some of those newborns at risk,” said Dr. Joel Terriquez, ADHS medical director of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases Services and the Bureau of Immunization Services.
Since 1991, the CDC has recommended giving hepatitis B vaccines to babies within 24 hours of birth, and then two follow-up doses in the months after.
Over strong objections from many medical experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the hepatitis B vaccine at birth only for newborns whose mothers test positive for the virus. Other mothers, the committee said, should consult with their doctors on when or if their babies should be vaccinated.
The American Academy of Pediatrics called the change “irresponsible.”
“The pacing of these doses has been rigorously tested and proven to be safe and effective over several decades,” a press release from the American Academy of Pediatrics said. “Delaying the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine has no clear benefits and leaves children vulnerable to infection.”
Terriquez said the vaccine has very minimal side effects. But, he said, infants who get infected with hepatitis B can go on to develop serious health problems.
“Children or adolescents who have an infection of hepatitis B can progress into not only cirrhosis, but potentially liver cancer,” Terriquez said.
The change in CDC guidance comes at a time when vaccination rates for hepatitis B and other diseases are falling in Arizona.
As of 2010, state health department records show more than 96% of Arizona kindergarteners were fully vaccinated for hepatitis B. Last year, the rate was about 92%.
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