BALTIMORE — The Maryland Health Department has issued a statewide hepatitis B standing order that authorizes qualified health professionals to administer the vaccine to infants and children.
This order comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 on Friday to recommend eliminating the recommended schedule for administering the hepatitis B birth dose.
The CDC currently recommends that nearly all newborns receive the shot as part of routine care. ACIP is now recommending the elimination of the CDC's universal recommendation for the birth dose.
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In a letter, the Maryland Health Department also made these additional recommendations as part of the standing order:
- Newborns born to birth parents who test positive for hepatitis B infection or have an unknown status should be vaccinated and given hepatitis B immunoglobulin within 12 hours of birth.
- All children should complete the full vaccination series within 18 months.
- Children who are not fully vaccinated by 18 months should follow the AAP's age-appropriate catch-up schedule.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease, including cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer and death.
This infection is particularly devastating to infants, the Health Department says.
A universal birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine:
- Prevents mother-to-infant transmission in 70-90% of cases
- Prevents household transmission between family members and other caregivers
- Provides a safety net to prevent perinatal transmission when infection occurs after testing, or when errors such as misinterpreted laboratory test results, errors in documentation, or false-negative test results occur
