The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) – representing public health leadership from California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii announced continued support for the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, followed by completion of the full vaccination series. This aligns with the national medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
This position contrasts with recent changes by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which voted to end the universal birth-dose recommendation and suggested using blood tests after each vaccine dose. WCHA and other medical experts strongly disagreed, citing a lack of credible evidence supporting these changes and warning that delaying vaccination could lead to more preventable cases of chronic hepatitis B, liver disease, and liver cancer.
Decades of global research show that hepatitis B vaccines is safe, effective, and essential for protecting infants-who are at the highest risk of long-term complications if infected early in life. Universal birth-dose vaccination has helped reduce pediatric hepatitis B infections in the U.S. by 99 percent since 1991.
The announcement follows the formation of the WCHA, a new collaboration committed to evidence based on public health recommendations, transparency, and strengthening community trust. The Alliance will evaluate national public health policy changes, coordinate communications, and provide science driven guidance using shared principles rooted in integrity and public heath responsibility.
Read the full Washington State Department of Health release here.