Faltering hepatitis vaccine uptake ‘seeding next wave of chronic liver disease’
The CDC changed its universal recommendation for HBV birth dose to include only infants with known risk factors, a move temporarily halted by a federal court order in March 2026. Fewer infants in the U.S. are receiving the hepatitis B virus birth dose amid policy shifts and a rise in misinformation fueling vaccine hesitancy.
Fewer infants in the U.S. are receiving the hepatitis B virus birth dose due to policy shifts and rising vaccine hesitancy. The CDC changed its universal recommendation for HBV birth dose to include only infants with known risk factors, but a federal court order temporarily halted this change in March 2026. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases opposed the change. HBV vaccination rates at birth were already declining, falling from 83.5% in 2023 to 73.2% in 2025. Experts warn that this trend may lead to a rise in chronic liver disease, as HBV acquired early in life is more likely to become chronic. Pediatricians are seeing an uptick in vaccine hesitancy among parents, with concerns about vaccine schedules and insurance coverage.
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