Hepatitis B control in jeopardy

This paper analyzes the impact of delaying the Hepatitis B vaccine beyond the first day of life following the recently updated guidelines of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding universal neonatal vaccination. We discuss the potential effects that delaying the initial hepatitis B vaccine dose until 2 months will have on global health communities, the economy, well-being, and development. Despite the WHO 2030 elimination goals, shifts toward delaying the newborn “birth dose” and rising vaccine hesitancy pose a risk of a public health reversal resulting in hepatitis B (HBV) remaining a global threat. We argue that maintaining universal birth-dose recommendation should remain the most reliable strategy to mitigate systemic screening gaps and achieve the global elimination of hepatitis B, along with other forms of viral hepatitis.