Missed Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccine Is a Risk Factor for Incomplete Vaccination at 18 and 24 Months

Childhood vaccination is an effective public health measure that averts millions of cases of preventable infectious diseases.1 Unfortunately, rates of vaccination among children in the United States have stalled and fallen short of national goals in recent years, attributable in part to the growing movement of vaccine hesitancy.2 –4 Refusal of and delays in vaccination have been associated with disease outbreaks in the U.S.5,6 The first opportunity that parents have to accept or refuse a vaccine for their child occurs when the hepatitis B virus (HepB) vaccine is offered in the newborn period.

Source: Journal of Infection - October 4, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Peyton Wilson, Genevieve Taylor, Jamie Knowles, Elizabeth Blyth, Jeff Laux, Jacob Lohr, Ravi Jhaveri Source Type: research