Physicians Say All Babies Need Hepatitis Vaccine.(Brief Article)

2002 JAN 30 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- All U.S. newborns should be vaccinated against hepatitis B before leaving the hospital to protect against possible disease from infected mothers, doctors recommend.

Previously, giving the shots in the hospital was recommended only for newborns whose mothers were known to be infected or whose disease status was unknown.

The new recommendation is listed in the childhood immunization schedule for 2002, prepared by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

It is a minor change from the group's list last year. For one of the first times in recent years, no new shots are recommended; both lists recommend a series of seven vaccine shots starting in infancy for all U.S. children. The list is published in the January 2002 Pediatrics.

The recommendation for hepatitis B shots was made out of concern that some infants of mothers mistakenly thought to be disease-free might be falling through the cracks, said Dr. Julia McMillan, a member of the AAP committee that helped create this year's list.

Doctors also worried that some infants were not being vaccinated early because of concerns that some shots had a ...