By Staff Reporter |

A Republican state lawmaker is urging the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to follow the new federal guidance on hepatitis B shots for newborns. 

State Representative Lisa Fink (R-LD27) published a press release directing ADHS to align its guidance on hepatitis B newborn vaccinations with the newly updated federal recommendation. 

The new recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) suggests only newborns born to women who test positive for hepatitis B should receive the vaccination. Mothers who test negative are advised to consult their doctor otherwise.

“Arizona’s health department should not stand alone defending an outdated one-size-fits-all policy when the federal advisory panel and the President are urging a more cautious, evidence-based approach,” said Fink. “For healthy babies born to hepatitis B-negative mothers, the updated guidance returns the decision to parents and their doctors, who can determine what is best for that child without pressure to accept an automatic birth shot.”

The updated recommendation reflects a return to a risk-based approach for the vaccine.

ACIP favoring an updated recommendation emerged from the cited lack of trial data and serious tracking on adverse events to prove safety and efficacy beyond simple real-world observation. ACIP did discuss the smattering of adverse reactions that resulted from the few, limited trials that did occur back in the late 20th century.

ACIP first recommended hepatitis B vaccines for all newborns in 1991. 

Per ACIP research, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid out $18 million for hepatitis B vaccine injuries in combination with other vaccines for children. 

Joel Terriquez — ADHS medical director of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases Services as well as the Bureau of Immunization Services — told KTAR on Monday that the agency rejects the new federal guidance. 

“We would like to make sure that parents understand the importance of this birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine based on the safety, efficacy as well as historic benefits associated with prevention of infection,” said Terriquez. “That will create a window period where we could potentially have transmission of infection without having the ability to protect these babies based on that knowledge of a positive test.”

Terriquez argued that some women may become infected during their pregnancy, and the nine weeks it would take for the disease to show up in a test result would result in a false negative for the mother. 

Most Hepatitis B carriers are individuals who engage in sex with multiple partners — mainly males who have sexual intercourse with males — and intravenous drug users. Transmission from mother to child mainly occurs within countries with high rates of hepatitis B. America was not one of these countries prior to 1991 and didn’t become one after 1991. The disease is most common throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. 

Ahead of ACIP’s changes to the recommendation, ADHS issued a press release advocating for the continued practice of universal hepatitis B vaccinations. 

Likewise, other health organizations and state health authorities are rejecting ACIP’s new recommendation. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics described ACIP’s recommendation as “irresponsible,” and claimed delayed hepatitis B vaccine administration “has no clear benefits” but only makes children vulnerable to the disease.

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