Following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval of the new hepatitis B vaccination recommendation issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reaffirming that vaccinations play a vital role in safeguarding the health and well-being and help protect children, their families and entire communities from the spread of infectious diseases like hepatitis B, measles, pertussis and others.
ACIP’s new recommendation advises parents of infants born to mothers known not to have hepatitis B to talk with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of the hepatitis B vaccine; and suggests that the first dose should generally be administered at two months of age or later if the vaccine is not given at birth. Please see the following statement from NCDHHS:
"Protecting newborns from preventable disease is one of the most important commitments we can make to ensure a healthy start for all North Carolinians. The hepatitis B vaccine, administered at birth, is a safe, effective and essential tool in preventing chronic infection, which can lead to liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer or even death. Universal administration of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth ensures that every newborn — regardless of maternal testing status, health care access or background — receives life-saving protection. Delaying the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine or not completing the full series has no evidence of safety benefits for children and may result in more hepatitis B infections in infants, reversing more than 30 years of successful efforts that have dramatically reduced hepatitis cases.
Every baby can and should continue to be offered the hepatitis B vaccine based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, which is also supported by other professional medical and health organizations. This schedule is based on an extensive review of current scientific data. Health care providers and families have the same goal: a healthy future for children in North Carolina; and providers are already having discussions about vaccines with parents and caregivers.
NCDHHS is working closely with federal, state and local partners to ensure we continue to prioritize the health, safety and well-being of children, individuals and families in North Carolina as well as the availability of life-saving vaccines. Health care providers can continue following their routine practices for providing hepatitis B vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccines, including the birth dose, should still be covered by private insurance, the Vaccines for Children Program and NC Medicaid. NCDHHS has a bilingual Childhood Vaccines Toolkit that includes resources to help health care providers and families start conversations about childhood vaccines, so parents have the information they need to protect what matters most, their children’s health."
Getting vaccinated helps children:
- Build protection against serious illness and enjoy a healthy future;
- Avoid missing school and activities due to illness;
- Reduce the spread of diseases to classmates, family members and their community; and
- Stay up to date on school immunization requirements
Vaccines are available at pharmacies, private medical offices, some federally qualified health care centers and local health departments. Children who are uninsured can be vaccinated at low or no cost through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers free vaccines to eligible children through 18 years of age.