Press Release: 11/25/2025

Healey-Driscoll Administration Reaffirms Importance of Hepatitis B Vaccine for All Newborns

 

Guidance aligns with the American Academy of Pediatrics and is supported by the Northeast Public Health Collaborative 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

11/25/2025

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Karissa Hand, Press Secretary

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Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today underscored the critical importance of maintaining the existing hepatitis B vaccine schedule to safeguard newborns. The schedule includes a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery, regardless of the hepatitis B infection status of the parent, and completion of the full vaccination series within the first 18 months of life. The hepatitis B vaccine is widely recognized as one of the safest and most effective vaccines ever developed.   

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is issuing its recommendation ahead of the scheduled meeting of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on December 4 and 5. At that meeting, ACIP has proposed a discussion of and potential vote on changing the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. Massachusetts is committed to taking all necessary steps to preserve continued access to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, regardless of any future ACIP action.  

“The misinformation coming from the Trump administration about vaccines is dangerous and puts the health of our children and families at risk,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We must continue to be clear: Vaccines – including the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns – are safe, effective, and lifesaving. Massachusetts will continue to base our public health decisions on science and make sure that people have access to the vaccines that they want and need.” 

“For more than three decades, the hepatitis B birth dose has been a critical safety net for families, preventing infections that can pass unknowingly from parent to child. This vaccine is safe and effective, and it has reduced hepatitis B in children and teens by 99% nationwide,” said Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “Our responsibility is to use the best science to protect every person we serve – and newborns deserve the strongest start we can give them. The science here is clear: this vaccine is safe and effective – and it saves lives.”  

“As a practicing infectious disease doctor, I have cared for patients suffering with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B. Becoming infected as a newborn can lead to a lifetime of severe liver disease, including liver failure, and is almost entirely preventable,” said Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH, FIDSA, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. “Our goal is to ensure that our residents have access to every evidence-based tool available to keep families and children healthy. Universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth followed by completion of the vaccination series has proven to be a highly safe and effective way to protect infants and children from infection.” 

The DPH recommendation also reflects a consensus statement from the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a coalition of public health agencies working together to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness, and advance evidence-based public health. The group’s shared goal is to protect the health, safety and well-being of all residents by providing information based on science, data, and evidence, while working to preserve equitable access to vaccines, medications, and services. 

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can lead to serious long-term health problems, including chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Because the virus can be passed from an infected mother to the baby during birth, newborns are at particular risk of developing lifelong infection.  

Administering the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and completing the full hepatitis B vaccine series in the first 18 months of life protects infants and children during a vulnerable time of their lives. Delaying vaccination misses a crucial window of potential exposure, putting infants at risk. Clinicians should continue to offer hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns at birth and administer the full vaccination series in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations.   

Governor Healey has taken a number of steps to protect public health in Massachusetts, especially when it comes to the availability and affordability of vaccines. She signed legislation allowing the DPH to issue its own vaccine recommendations rooted in science and data. She’s criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for directing the CDC to post false information about links between vaccines and autism. She directed the Commissioner of Public Health to issue a standing order for all Massachusetts residents to be able to get the COVID vaccine, directed health insurers to cover COVID vaccines, and made it easier to administer flu vaccines. 

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