Why the Newborn Hepatitis B Shot Matters — and What’s at Stake Now

Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver and, if not prevented, can lead to serious chronic illness — including liver cancer. The vaccine for hepatitis B, given within 24 hours of birth, is one of the most effective tools we have to stop transmission — especially from mother to child — and to reduce cancer risk later in life.

Recently, the U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and a newly reconstituted vaccine advisory group have questioned whether the hepatitis B vaccine needs to be given to newborns in the first days of life. Critics, including pediatricians and public health experts, warn this could weaken protections that have been in place for decades.

Here are the key points, according to STAT News:

• Before the vaccine was routinely given at birth, many people with hepatitis B had no known risk factors — meaning screening alone missed cases.
• After universal newborn vaccination policies were adopted in the U.S., cases in children and teens dropped by about 99%.
• Some in the new vaccine advisory group have raised concerns about vaccine safety, timing, or whether the “birth-dose” is needed when mothers test negative. But public health experts stress that testing can fail, and a first dose at birth adds fail-safe protection.

Why this matters for cancer prevention and health:

• Hepatitis B often turns chronic when contracted at or near birth. Chronic infection over time greatly increases the risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis. Limiting early protection risks increasing those chronic infections.
• Vaccines are among the most powerful tools in preventing virus-related cancers. By ensuring newborns get vaccinated, we are reducing future cancer burden.
• Survivorship and long-term health depend not only on treating cancer but preventing it. Early prevention saves lives, reduces suffering, and reduces healthcare costs.

As these policy debates unfold, the evidence remains strong: giving the hepatitis B vaccine at birth is a safe, tested, and essential part of preventing lifelong infection and, in many cases, cancer. Changes to timing or recommendations should be made only after careful review of data — and with an abundance of caution when lives are at stake.

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If you want to read the full original article, you can find it here: NBC News: Hepatitis B vaccine under fire

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October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month. Learn more about the disease here.