SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reaffirming its long-standing, science-based recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, citing decades of research showing the practice prevents serious and potentially deadly infections.
IDPH officials said the guidance maintains the state’s existing recommendation for a universal hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth, even as recent changes at the federal level adjusted previous guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
According to IDPH, the recommendation aligns with decades of scientific consensus and reflects advice from the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee (IL-IAC).
“Parents deserve clear, trustworthy, and science-based information when making decisions about their child’s health,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “The hepatitis B vaccine at birth is safe, effective, and critical in preventing chronic liver disease and liver cancer later in life.”
Health officials say hepatitis B is a serious viral infection that can be transmitted at birth or through contact with an infected person, including family members or caregivers. IDPH estimates that up to half of Americans with hepatitis B do not know they are infected, making universal vaccination at birth an important layer of protection.
Dr. Marielle Fricchione, chair of the IL-IAC, said the committee strongly supported maintaining the current recommendation after reviewing the latest data.
“The committee determined that the universal hepatitis B vaccination strategy is a public health success story for Illinois,” Fricchione said, adding that any changes could negatively impact health equity and overall protection for newborns.
IDPH officials note that since universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth began in 1991, infections among U.S. children have dropped by 99 percent. Without vaccination, approximately 90 percent of infants infected at birth or during their first year of life develop chronic hepatitis B, and about 25 percent of those individuals later die from chronic liver disease.
The reaffirmed guidance also includes additional recommendations:
- Infants should receive all doses of the hepatitis B vaccine series on schedule.
- Pregnant individuals should be screened for hepatitis B early in pregnancy, with additional screening for those at high risk at delivery.
- IDPH continues to support routine immunizations for flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
- For all other routine vaccinations, IDPH recommends following the CDC’s child, adolescent, and adult immunization schedules.
IDPH says the guidance was issued under authority granted earlier this month through new state legislation and is part of broader health guidance for medical providers across Illinois.
Health officials say the goal is to continue protecting children statewide from a disease that is preventable but potentially life-threatening.
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