ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a leading cause of pediatric liver disease.1 Following the recommendation for universal neonatal HBV vaccination, acute pediatric HBV in the United States decreased by 99%.2 The safety and efficacy of HBV vaccination are well established3,4; however, recent public debate has questioned the need for neonatal administration.1 A recent study of US electronic health records identified decreasing neonatal HBV vaccination rates after a peak in February 2023.5 Noting a decline in HBV vaccine uptake at a university hospital, we aimed to quantify the magnitude and timing of this trend.
We performed a descriptive analysis of HBV vaccine uptake among neonates admitted to a tertiary academic medical center on Long Island, New York from 2021 to 2025. Stony Brook University Hospital Level 1 Well Newborn Nursery (NBN) has approximately 3000 annual admissions and requires parental consent for HBV vaccination…. (see article link for full text)