CDC Adopts Individual-Based Decision-Making for Hepatitis B Immunization for Infants, AAP and AAFP Continue to Recommend Universal Birth Dose
(Dec. 24, 2025) – On Dec. 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it had adopted individual-based decision-making for hepatitis B immunization, allowing parents to decide whether to give the hepatitis B vaccine, including the birth dose, to infants born to women who test negative for the virus. For infants not receiving the birth dose, the CDC recommends administering the initial dose no earlier than two months of age. Along with its announcement, the CDC issued a document the agency entitled "Fact Sheet Hepatitis Immunization." Following the CDC announcement, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated the CDC's decision would lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children. The AAP continues to recommend giving newborns a dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, with additional doses at one to two months and six to 18 months. See the American Academy of Pediatrics' Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. The American Academy of Family Physicians issued a Dec. 5 statement strongly supporting maintaining universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth.
--Karen Braman