This story was first published at Colorado Newsline
Colorado health officials continue to recommend universal hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns after the Trump administration changed a policy that has been an accepted standard for more than 30 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted last week to move away from a recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine, now recommending doses only for infants whose mothers test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment next Wednesday will ask the Colorado Board of Health to incorporate vaccine recommendations from the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends universal hepatitis B birth doses, into its vaccine requirements for children in schools. The emergency rulemaking is necessary so that the switch to following the academy’s recommendations can take effect immediately, CDPHE spokesperson Hope Shuler said.
Colorado still requires children attending child care or school to receive the hepatitis B vaccine, and most insurance plans will continue to pay for the birth dose of the vaccine.
The U.S. has seen a 99% reduction in pediatric hepatitis B infections since the birth dose was first recommended in 1991. Colorado saw only 23 cases of perinatal hepatitis B between 2001 and 2015, and the state has seen no confirmed cases since 2016, according to CDPHE.
“Colorado has spent decades building an effective system of maternal screening and universal birth dose vaccination that has nearly eliminated infant hepatitis B infections in our state,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, said in a statement. “The evidence is strong, the science is clear, and the vaccine has an exceptional safety profile. We want providers and families to know that the hepatitis B birth dose remains safe, effective, and strongly recommended for all newborns.”
Dr. Ned Calonge, CDPHE’s chief medical officer, said the CDPHE wants providers to have all the information they need to explain to families the well-documented benefits of the vaccine.
“We still strongly recommend it, it’s still available, and it’s still paid for,” Calonge said. “We would like to just remind parents that nothing has changed around the evidence. It has a great effectiveness and benefit and no significant downsides, so nothing really should change in terms of the acceptability, or parents obtaining this dose for their newborns.”
The 30 years of evidence showing the safety and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine speaks for itself, Calonge said, particularly its effectiveness in Colorado. He said parents should understand that the vaccine is still recommended by “every credible health care entity in our state and provider groups nationally.”
The risk of developing chronic hepatitis is much higher for newborns and children, Calonge said, which can lead to serious liver diseases including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spent decades spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines and other health issues, fired all 17 previous members of the ACIP and replaced them with a slate of hand-picked appointees, many of whom are seen as vaccine skeptics.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said the state will continue to reinforce the importance of the birth dose and ensure families have “the best information” available on its effectiveness.
“Colorado will continue to follow the science and strongly support the hepatitis B birth dose as a safe, simple, and effective protection for every newborn, even as ACIP creates confusion for families,” Polis said in a statement.
In September, Hunsaker Ryan issued a public health order to allow Coloradans to have continued access to COVID-19 vaccinations after the Trump administration limited who was eligible.
Parents, please follow the proven science. It is through science that we eradicate diseases that once killed and maimed large portions of our society. I remember going to church as an altar boy 60 years ago and seeing members of our parish struggling to walk up to communion with braces on their legs that were impaired by polio. I remember the stories about people locked away in what they called an iron lung because polio affected their ability to breath. I knew a kid in school who died of measles. I remember suffering with my two brothers as we caught chicken pox, measles, and mumps in the same year. I had high fevers with measles and still remember the weird dreams and waking up soaking wet! I’m 72 with two daughters who are in their late 40s! They were always fully vaccinated and my granddaughter who turns 18 today was always fully vaccinated. I would be dead or severly maimed 100 years ago if it weren’t for science and medical advancement. I had a stroke at 47, but thanks to excellent medical care, I lived to enjoy my granddaughter! I was able to work in colleges and universities in Iowa, Texas, and in Colorado for 20+ years. Why roll the dice with your children because there exist charletans who quote studies with insufficient sample size or worse, have been completely debunked by real science. Please educate yourself with real science journals, not TicTok on your phone. It’s simply too important!
Zero reason for a baby to get this if the mom tests negative for it.