The CDC has formally dropped its recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
Acting director Jim O'Neill approved ending the blanket recommendation Tuesday, instead saying that children born to parents who do not have hepatitis B should be vaccinated based on 'individual-based decision-making'.
The children can still receive the shot at birth, but the agency now also says it can be administered when babies are at least two months of age.
The move followed a recommendation from the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) two weeks ago, which called for the change.
Children born to parents who have hepatitis B are still recommended to receive the vaccination at birth.
The CDC's acting director did not approve ACIP's second recommendation, however, that parents and healthcare providers should consider blood tests to check levels of antibodies against hepatitis B in newborns to determine whether a child needs additional doses of the three-dose vaccine.
Read Full Article Here
