--- title: "Newborn Hepatitis B vaccine rates peaked in 2023, then slipped: Research" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/276926426.md" description: "A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that hepatitis B vaccination rates among U.S. newborns peaked at 83.5% in February 2023 but fell to 73.2% by August. The CDC recently removed the hepatitis B vaccine from its universal childhood immunization schedule, although it still recommends it for infants born to mothers with unknown HPV status. This change has led to a lawsuit from several Democratic-led states against federal health officials, claiming it will negatively impact children's health and state resources." datetime: "2026-02-25T18:36:38.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/276926426.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276926426.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/276926426.md) --- # Newborn Hepatitis B vaccine rates peaked in 2023, then slipped: Research A new research study shows that hepatitis B vaccination rates among newborns in the U.S. declined by more than 10 percent from its peak in early 2023. The study, published online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, determined via an analysis of over 12.4 million newborns that vaccination rates for HBV peaked at 83.5 percent in February 2023. But by August of last year, the rate had declined to 73.2 percent. HBV is the virus that causes hepatitis B. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected blood and bodily fluids, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending vaccination as the most effective way to prevent infection. Last month, though, the CDC altered its childhood immunization schedule and removed the hepatitis B vaccine from its list of shots recommended for all children. It still recommends the hepatitis B vaccine for infants born to women who tested positive for HPV or whose status is unknown. Infants in that category should receive their first dose at birth, their second dose by two months and their third dose at any point from six to 18 months. While the federal government does not mandate vaccines, the CDC’s vaccine schedule influences state and insurance policies. The national insurance trade group AHIP said in September it will continue to cover all vaccines recommended by the CDC as of Sep. 1, 2025, through the end of this year. On Wednesday, over a dozen Democratic-led states sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and acting CDC Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya over the change to the vaccine schedule. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, said the change “will make children sicker and strain state resources.” ### Related Stocks - [GSK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GSK.US.md) - [FBT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/FBT.US.md) - [XLV.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XLV.US.md) - [BIB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BIB.US.md) - [SBIO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SBIO.US.md) - [ARKG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ARKG.US.md) - [IBB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IBB.US.md) - [VHT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VHT.US.md) - [IHE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IHE.US.md) - [PBE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PBE.US.md) - [MRK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MRK.US.md) - [IBBQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IBBQ.US.md) - [BBH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BBH.US.md) - [XBI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XBI.US.md) - [DVAX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DVAX.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [BioMarin's drug shows significant growth gains in children in late-stage trial](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287121584.md) - [Health Rounds: Widely used asthma drug may improve performance of cancer immunotherapies](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286957357.md) - [Merck ADC, licensed from China, hits mark in first big global trial](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287075287.md) - [ZAWYA: Merck marks World Hypertension Day with launch of Hypertension Risk Checker](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286918607.md) - [Allworth Financial LP Grows Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286522605.md)