New US Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidelines Likely Leave Many Infants Vulnerable

A new study of 158,000 children in Northern California suggests revised U.S. hepatitis B vaccination guidelines could leave many infants vulnerable to infection.

Researchers identified more than 2,000 children living with someone who had active hepatitis B; in approximately 58% of those households, the infected person was not the child's mother. The findings, presented at the October 2026 IDWeek meeting, highlight the risk of limiting birth-dose vaccination based solely on maternal infection status.

Because more than 90% of infants who contract hepatitis B develop chronic infection, universal newborn vaccination provides protection against potential household exposures. Read more from Reuters here.