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Hepatitis B vaccine guidance set to be rolled back for US babies: what the science says

A panel of US vaccine advisers voted to rescind a recommendation that all newborns should receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
By
  1. Mariana Lenharo

    1. Mariana Lenharo is a reporter for Nature in New York City.

  2. Heidi Ledford

    1. Heidi Ledford reports for Nature from Seattle, Washington.

Members of a top US vaccine advisory panel voted today to roll back a decades-old recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth — a measure that has been associated with a sharp decline in mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus, which causes liver disease.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03937-1

Additional reporting by Traci Watson

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 05 December 2025: This story was updated 5 December with the results of the vaccine panel’s vote.

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