Should all newborns get hepatitis B vaccine? Arizona expert disagrees with RFK Jr.’s panel

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials are urging all parents to vaccinate their newborns against hepatitis B despite a recent change in the federal recommendation.

“We would like to make sure that parents understand the importance of this birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine based on the safety, efficacy as well as historic benefits associated with prevention of infection,” Dr. Joel Terriquez of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

A federal vaccine advisory committee voted earlier that day to recommend the birth dose only when the mother has tested positive or her infection status is unknown. The recommendation for all babies to get the hepatitis B vaccine at birth had been in effect since 1991.

It will be up to the parents and their doctors to decide if a birth dose is appropriate when the mother has tested negative. The committee, whose 11 members all were appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to suggest that when a family elects to wait, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.

Why does Arizona expert disagree with federal panel on hepatitis B vaccines?

Terriquez, who is the medical director for the infectious disease services and immunization services bureaus of ADHS, said he disagrees with the new recommendation because it can take weeks from when a mother is infected with hepatitis B to when it shows up on a test.

“That will create a window period where we could potentially have transmission of infection without having the ability to protect these babies based on that knowledge of a positive test,” he explained. “So, I think that is a huge gap and that basically missing that birth dose would be a huge missed opportunity for us to prevent something that is absolutely and completely preventable.”

The ADHS official wants the public to be educated about the risks of delaying or missing the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose.

“It is available and it is covered currently by medical insurance,” he said. “For those individuals that might be either uninsured or underinsured, the Vaccine for Children’s program has always been there to assist with to make this vaccine available for anyone that may have that indication.”

What can hepatitis B do to babies?

Hepatitis B is a virus that spreads between adults through sex or shared needles. It also can be passed from an infected mother to a baby, potentially leading to severe complications.

Terriquez said adults usually clear the infection without significant issues.

“This is not the case with infants and newborns, when 90% of those kids that are infected can potentially progress into severe complications, including cirrhosis, liver disease as well as potentially … liver cancer,” he said.

Arizona vaccine expert sees culture change

Terriquez said a change in the culture surrounding vaccines is “noticeable,” as is a decrease in vaccination rates. However, the result of this shift won’t be fully known for years, he said.

“The long-term complications of this culture change will not be noticeable until years after, when we will see the impact of not vaccinating our newborns,” he said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz McNair and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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