by Staff Report
HARTFORD, Conn — Amid discussion of vaccine schedule changes at the national level, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is reaffirming its position that all newborns should receive a dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of delivery. Additionally, all children should complete the full vaccination series within 18 months.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. Chronic infection over the course of a lifetime can lead to liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer and death. Babies can contract Hepatitis B from their mothers during childbirth, even if the mother doesn’t know she’s infected. Infants who contract Hepatitis B during the first year of life have a 90% chance of developing lifelong chronic Hepatitis B infection. About 1 in 4 newborns/infants who develop chronic Hepatitis B will die from the disease, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
During delivery, the baby comes in contact with the mother’s blood and bodily fluids, and infection can enter through their eyes, mouth, nose, umbilical cord, or small cuts. Children can be exposed through household contact with infected family members who may not know they carry the virus. Young children in daycare settings can also potentially spread infections through bites or scratches.
Hepatitis B affects over 250 million people worldwide. Universal infant vaccination has dramatically reduced infection rates in countries that have implemented it, according to DPH. The department described side effects and reactions as mild and temporary, with soreness at the injection site being the most common.
“The Hepatitis B vaccine is a crucial safety net for newborns from an incurable, life-threatening disease,” said Connecticut Department of Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and AAP have recommended the series of shots for 35 years, and over that time, infections have plummeted. We have decades of real-world evidence to show us that this vaccine protects our children from unanticipated exposures to an easily transmitted, potentially deadly virus.”
According to the department, the birth dose, combined with the full vaccine series, is 98% effective at preventing infection. This strategy provides immediate protection during the infant’s most vulnerable period and provides long-lasting immunity, protecting children throughout their lives.
Since the CDC introduced routine childhood hepatitis B vaccination in 1991, infection rates have stayed low in children and are now declining among adults in their 30s as vaccinated children age.
The department encourages residents to speak with qualified health care professionals and clinicians and rely on trusted medical sources when making decisions about their health or the health of their children.