Chicago Health Officials โUrge Timely Hepatitis B Vaccination for Newborns, Citing Lifelong โฃRisks of Infection
CHICAGO,โ IL – Chicago Department of Public Health officials are reinforcing the critical importanceโข of hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, emphasizingโ the substantially higher risk of chronic illness inโ young children infected with the virus. with โฃdecades of data demonstrating safety and effectiveness, the vaccine is routinely administered within the first 24 hours โคof life to provideโ crucial โearly protection.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause bothโ acute and chronic disease. While often asymptomatic in adults, infection in โinfancy carries aโ far graver prognosis. “Young children โขwho become infected are at a much higher risk of becoming chronically ill compared to adults,” explains Megan Gretsch, senior โepidemiologist with the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program at โฃthe Chicago Department of Publicโ Health. โข”up to 90% of infants with hepatitis B go on to develop chronic, lifelong infection, and 25% die prematurely of liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.”
The hepatitis B vaccineโ schedule begins so early in life for several key reasons, โaccording to healthcare professionals. Physiciansโฃ Pinsky and grant highlight that early administration:โ prevents transmission from mother toโ child during birthโ (perinatal transmission); acts โขas a safeguard whenโค aโฃ parent’s hepatitis B status is unknown; protects againstโ potential spread from infected householdโค members โขorโ caregivers; andโ increases the likelihood of completing โขthe full three-dose vaccine series.
“An infantโ infected at birth is infected for life,” stresses Dr.Chatterjee.โข “Waiting even a month or two from birth allows the virus to take hold.”
Despite concerns some parents may have, experts โconsistently maintain โthat the benefits of vaccination far outweigh theโ minimalโ risks.”Most side effects are mild, such โคas โคpain at the injection site,” say Pinsky and Grant. Severe adverse reactions are exceedingly rare, and โขno deaths have ever been linked to the โhepatitis Bโ vaccine itself.Dr. Chatterjee adds reassurance,noting the vaccine’s extensive study in newborns to ensure safety,even regarding potential fever or other โฃreactions.
As โขits introduction in the early 1980s, overโข 1 billion doses of the โhepatitis B โคvaccine have been administered globally.Ongoing monitoring,along with rigorous pre-approvalโ testing,continues to confirm the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.
Parents with questions about the hepatitis B vaccine are โencouraged โฃto consult with their child’s โpediatrician or anotherโ trusted healthcareโค professional, avoiding information from unreliable social media or politically motivated sources.
For accurate โขandโ accessible information on vaccines and otherโ public health topics, theโค Chicago Department of Public โขHealth recommends visiting their website at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/infectious_disease/svcs/vaccines-and-vaccine-preventable-diseases.html and following the departmentโข on social media.