Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends: 

• Universal hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth for medically stable infants
• Hepatitis B testing for pregnant women who test positive for the hepatitis B antigen
• Postvaccination blood testing for infants whose mother’s hepatitis B status will be unknown for the foreseeable future (e.g., when a parent with custody surrenders an infant after birth)
• Single-dose revaccination for infants whose mothers test positive for the hepatitis B antigen and don’t respond to the initial vaccine series
• Vaccination of people with chronic liver disease
• Removal of language in the recommendations that seems permissive of delaying infant vaccination until after hospital discharge

This report merges and updates previous recommendations for preventing hepatitis B in the United States.