BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – After a CDC advisory committee voted to roll back universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for infants, parents are seeking guidance on making the best decisions about their baby’s health.
Birmingham area doctor Kre Johnson is a board certified family medicine physician with a practice in Trussville. Dr. Johnson says when it comes to your baby’s health, it’s important to find a pediatrician or medical provider you trust.
“We want your babies to be healthy, We want them to live long lives. And prevention, I think, is key,” said Dr. Johnson.
For almost 35 years, infants have been given the hepatitis B vaccine right after birth.
“It acts like an anti-cancer vaccine. Because hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer,” said Dr. Johnson.
Hepatitis B is an infection that can lead to serious liver damage, liver failure, and cancer. It can be managed, but there is no cure.
“Talk to your OB-GYN, talk to your pediatrician. Those are the people that are going to be using the evidence-based medicine,” Dr. Johnson said.
Since the CDC’s decision in 1991 to recommend the vaccine to every infant, research finds acute cases of the disease in children under 18 decreased by over 90%.
“Everybody’s getting, has gotten this vaccine. So you’d expect there to be less cases of hepatitis B because this is something that we are just routinely vaccinating against,” said Dr. Johnson.
Now, a CDC advisory committee say the organization should end universal recommendation of the vaccine for all newborns, instead recommending it only to babies born to women who test positive for hep B.
“Our thought should be towards prevention and not treatment or reaction,” Dr. Johnson said.
But data from the March of Dimes shows that 30% of Alabama moms lack prenatal care in the first trimester, when women are normally tested for hepatitis B.
“What if they have something to happen, they get a blood transfusion or they have to have something that they end up inadvertently getting this. And you are one of those people that say, hey, I didn’t get this vaccine for my kid, you’re going to feel a way that this is something that you could have prevented some kind of long-term chronic illness because there’s no cure for it,” said Dr. Johnson.
When making these decisions, your child’s safety should always be the number one priority. Talk to your doctor about what the best choice is for you.
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