Newborn Hep B Vax Refusal Rates Dropped During Pandemic, D.C. Study Finds

Fewer mothers in Washington, D.C., refused to have their newborns receive an initial birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B, Recombivax HB) in recent years, according to a retrospective study.

Data from the D.C. Department of Health revealed that 12.1% of mothers refused to have their newborns vaccinated against hepatitis B while in the hospital in 2017, declining to 8.4% in 2019 and decreasing further to 3.5% in 2022, Y. Tony Yang, ScD, LLM, MPH, of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and colleagues reported in a research letter appearing in JAMA Network Open.

"Historically, newborn hepatitis B vaccination rates have been lower than desired, with [national] coverage of the birth dose below 77% among children born during 2017 and 2018," the study authors observed.

"The clinical relevance of these findings is substantial and multi-faceted," Yang told MedPage Today. "The decrease in hepatitis B vaccine refusals aligns with the Healthy People 2030 target of 90% coverage, indicating improved protection against hepatitis B for newborns." Head over to MedPage Today to read more about it.