U.S. Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates on the Decline

A birth dose of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine has been routinely recommended in the United States since 1991, and this intervention has led to a 99% decrease in perinatal HBV cases, 90% of which would be expected to result in chronic HBV infection. Marked increases in vaccine hesitancy followed the Covid-19 pandemic, and coverage of several vaccines has declined. To assess recent trends in HBV vaccine uptake, U.S. researchers examined electronic medical records from over 1800 hospitals and 41,500 clinics from January 2017 through August 2025; over 12 million newborns were included.