Earlier this week, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) informed healthcare providers that it “continues to recommend that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery.” This comes despite recent changes in federal guidance regarding hepatitis B vaccinations for infants.
On December 5, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to change its previous recommendation of a universal birth dose for babies whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The new guidance suggests that parents and their doctors should decide whether and when to administer the vaccine. If the birth dose is declined, ACIP recommends that the first dose not be given before two months of age. On the same day, President Trump instructed federal health agencies to review the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and compare it with practices in other developed countries where supported by scientific evidence.
Representative Fink commented on these developments, stating, “Arizona’s health department should not stand alone defending an outdated one-size-fits-all policy when the federal advisory panel and the President are urging a more cautious, evidence-based approach. For healthy babies born to hepatitis B–negative mothers, the updated guidance returns the decision to parents and their doctors, who can determine what is best for that child without pressure to accept an automatic birth shot.”
Fink also expressed support for both ACIP’s action and the presidential directive as steps toward aligning Arizona’s vaccine schedule with those of other developed nations. He questioned why ADHS has not adjusted its recommendations in light of these changes.
“ADHS says it ‘promotes and protects the health and wellness of Arizona’s residents,’ yet it refuses to pause and re-examine a 30-year-old policy despite new federal recommendations,” Representative Fink added. “At a minimum, the state should update its guidance so parents know they have options, receive clear information, and are supported if they choose to follow the federal panel’s updated advice. Newborns deserve that level of care, and Arizona families deserve that level of honesty.”
Carbone was elected as a Republican representative for Arizona’s 25th House District in 2023, succeeding Michelle Udall.
