STATEMENT ON THE HEPATITIS BIRTH DOSE RECOMMENDATION IN THE UNITED STATES
11 December 2025 - In the United States, the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to remove the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, and to allow fewer doses than the current schedule.
This is a major change. For decades, every baby in the U.S. has been advised to receive the first hepatitis B shot in the first 24 hours of life, followed by additional doses. This approach has protected millions of children from hepatitis infection and from liver cancer later in life.
We are concerned because the consequences of this new direction are predictable:
More babies will be exposed to hepatitis B;
More children will grow up with chronic infection;
More adults will develop liver cancer, all of which could have been prevented.
The scientific evidence is very clear: the birth dose plus the full 3-dose series is the safest and most effective protection from hepatitis B infections and related complications.
There is no evidence that delaying the vaccine or giving fewer doses provides the same level of protection.
Changing the recommendation will also create confusion for parents and healthcare providers, who have relied on simple, consistent and effective guidance for more decades. This decision also has implications beyond the United States. Countries in the Asia-Pacific, where hepatitis B is more common, and the birth dose is a critical tool for elimination, may face new misinformation and doubts triggered by changes in other territories, with potential negative impacts on their national hepatitis B guidelines.
We urge healthcare providers to continue explaining the importance of the birth dose and the full vaccine series to families.
The APAC Liver Disease Alliance supports maintaining strong, science-led recommendations that protect every newborn and individual, and help us move closer to eliminating hepatitis B.
We continue to follow the situation closely and remain committed to evidence-based prevention and control policies.
