[Correspondence] A risky rollback on hepatitis B birth dose in the USA

00:00 - 09 Jan 2026

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted eight to three to withdraw the long-standing recommendation for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth for infants born to mothers who test hepatitis B virus-negative, instead recommending shared clinical decision making and delaying the first dose to no earlier than 2 months for those not vaccinated at birth.1 This decision is a departure from evidence-grounded immunisation policy and should not be implemented without a transparent rationale and a credible plan to prevent predictable implementation failures.