The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is stressing the vital role of vaccinations in keeping kids, families, and communities safe, following the CDC’s approval of new hepatitis B vaccine recommendations.
The updated guidance suggests parents of infants born to mothers without hepatitis B discuss vaccine timing and risks with their health care providers, with the first dose generally given at two months or later if not administered at birth.
State health officials emphasize that getting the hepatitis B vaccine at birth remains the safest and most effective way to prevent chronic infection and serious health issues like liver disease.
NCDHHS is warning that delaying or skipping doses may lead to more infections and reverse decades of public health progress.
