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In 2022, the CDC began recommending universal vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) for adults, a change from the previous risk-based approach. This shift was due to stubborn HBV prevalence rates — and associated mortality — as well as evidence that many people vaccinated in childhood did not achieve long-term immunity.
Now, to better understand HBV immunity among U.S. adults, researchers have examined serological data from a nationally representative sample from 2017 to 2023.
Overall, 27% of adults were immune to HBV.
Immunity rates were higher in younger adults (approaching 40% for those under 50), likely due to universal childhood vaccination that began in the 1990s.
Immunity among adults with at-risk conditions (e.g.…