IDPH Reaffirms Recommendation For Hep B Vaccine At Birth

SPRINGFIELD –  The Illinois Department of Public Health is reaffirming the recommendation for a universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth.  The IDPH says the guidance aligns with decades of scientific consensus.  The announcement follows guidance by the CDC recommending that the initial Hepatitis B dose be administered at age two-months or later.  Universal Hepatitis B guidelines implemented nationwide in 1991 called for newborns to be vaccinated within 24 hours of birth.