Hepatitis B Cases Could Surge Under New Vaccine Guidelines, Study Finds

New research models indicate that delaying the newborn hepatitis B vaccine by several months would cause detrimental population-level effects. Specifically, ending routine vaccination at birth, as recommended by the health secretary, could lead to a significant surge in cases. Researchers report that this specific vaccine plan could increase the total number of chronic infections by as much as 83 percent, highlighting the risks associated with altering current newborn immunization guidelines for hepatitis B.