12/10/2025
The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend administering the Hepatitis B vaccine 3-dose series with the first dose administered at birth.
Hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective and there is no new information to suggest the birth dose should be delayed. Delaying the dose only prolongs the time until protection is achieved without any benefit to the infant.
When Hepatitis B infection occurs in infancy, the vast majority of cases result in chronic infection which can lead to liver damage, liver cancer, and death.
Prior to routine Hepatitis B vaccination, 18,000-20,000 children were infected with Hepatitis B in the US each year, and about 5o% of those infections were from a non-maternal source.
Most cases of Hepatitis B infection are asymptomatic, and transmission can happen through contact that occurs in household, daycares, and schools, even when there is no apparent contact with blood or body fluids.
Hepatitis B can remain infectious on contaminated surfaces for at least 7 days.
The 3-dose Hepatitis B vaccine series results in long-lasting immunity for most children who are vaccinated.
Checking antibody levels after a single dose does not necessarily ensure durable protection, even if the antibodies are positive.
The full 3-dose Hepatitis B vaccine series has been studied for safety and efficacy and continues to be monitored though programs such as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and the Vaccine Safety Datalink.
There is no new information on which to base a change to Hepatitis B vaccines series for infants.
References:
ACIP announcement: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/acip-recommends-individual-based-decision-making-hepatitis-b-vaccine-birth-dose-infants-born-women-test-negative-virus.html
AAP announcement: https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2025/hepatitis-b-immunization-is-critical-to-protect-all-newborns/?_gl=1*394fcy*_ga*NjU3Mzg5MjM2LjE3NjUzMzEwMDU.*_ga_FD9D3XZVQQ*czE3NjUzMzEwMDUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjUzMzEwMDUkajYwJGwwJGgw
Stability of Hepatitis B in the environment: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6420165/