Hepatitis B Vaccine: Why It’s Really Important for Newborns

It’s now one of the hot issues in the world of the hepatitis B vaccine and more so after the questioning that was done over its safety by none other than the Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This vaccine is given to infants at birth to shield them from the threatening Hepatitis B virus which could lead to liver disease, cancer, and death in the long run. Let’s now delve into why this vaccine is very vital and its modus operandi and why some people are questioning it.

What Is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is an infection caused by a virus that affects the liver. There may be many others, but most notably it could force severe health problems such as:

1. Chronic Hepatitis – which is a long-term infection gradually damaging the functioning of the liver.
2. Liver Cancer – Persons affected with the Hepatitis B virus are at a higher risk of getting cancer of the liver
3. Liver Failure – This is when terribly the organ stops functioning and one may require a transplant
4. Death- unfortunately in few instances this disease ends life especially in infants

Virus spread by contacting infected blood or body fluids in the microscopic level through fluid exchange. For instance, transmission from mother to child during childbirth, or through sharing of toothbrushes or razors.

How come newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine?

The hepatitis B vaccine is given to babies on the first day of life. Here’s why:

Doctors give the hepatitis B vaccine to a newborn because it is the safest way to protect the child from getting infected with hepatitis B virus. It is much ideal for the following reasons:

1. Pregnancy and delivery: Maternal-fetal transmission is very common. Babies can pick up the infection from their mothers during childbirth. If the mother is a chronic carrier, this can be as high as a 90% risk of developing into chronic hepatitis unless they receive the vaccine.
2. Giving Newborns the Shot Sooner is Better: Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, from Lurie Children’s Hospital, says vaccinating a newborn right after birth makes it easier for the body’s immune system to fight off the virus before it gets a chance to spread throughout the body. Waiting until they are older weakens the vaccine.
3. Universal Protection: Not all mothers are tested for hepatitis B, and even then, sometimes tests can be wrong. Immunizing every newborn guarantees no infant goes unprotected.

From the time the United States started providing the vaccine to all newborns in 1991, cases have dropped by 99% in children below five years infected with hepatitis B. This confirms its efficacy.

The Vaccine Debate

Lately, certain people such as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and some Republican senators have raised queries about giving all newborns the hepatitis B vaccine. Here is what they are saying:

1. Marshall’s view: As stated by Marshall who is a doctor and has delivered several thousand babies, if the mother tests negative for hepatitis B, there would be no need for a vaccine. Thus, he is for vaccinating those babies born to untested or non-prenatal care women.
2. Another doctor, Sen. Rand Paul’s opinion: There is “no medical reason” to vaccinate a newborn if the mother doesn’t have hepatitis B, he declares on social media. He believes all mothers are tested in hospitals.
3. Rebuttal from Sen. Bill Cassidy: Cassidy, also a doctor, disagrees. Not all mothers are tested, as he says, but some may after early pregnancy tests, and get infected. He strongly supports the vaccine to protect all babies.

Kennedy has further inflamed the issue by dismissing dissenting members of a vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with individuals who apparently share his reservations about vaccines, including the hepatitis B shot. Kulldorff, the new committee chairman, recommends postponing vaccination unless the mother is infected with hepatitis B.

Medical Expert Support for the Vaccine

Here are some critical reasons why medical experts stand firmly in defense of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns:

1. Testing Isn’t Perfect: According to Chari Cohen of the Hepatitis B Foundation, only 84% to 88% of pregnant women are tested for hepatitis B. Tests also can be inconclusive and some behaviors that may be risky are not stigmatized women may not share the information.
2. Long-Term Protection: Protection is not restricted only at the time of birth; vaccination extends throughout childhood. Thus, one may acquire the virus from family members or from things like earrings or razors.
3. Safe and effective: Originally introduced in 1982, the vaccine is considered very safe and has resulted in a drastic reduction of hepatitis B infections among children. Dr. James Campbell of the American Academy of Pediatrics has referred to it as “a cheap, safe, and effective” weapon against a terrible disease.

The hepatitis B vaccine has saved many people from deaths that could result from such diseases. Dr. Su Wang is a good example; she is a hepatitis B carrier, though when she had her four children, she ensured that they received the vaccine at birth. She also gave them a special shot known as hepatitis B immunoglobulin, which offers enhanced protection immediately. I feel relieved that my kids are safe from the virus.

Thus, before the vaccine became routine, many of the infants developed chronic hepatitis B, resulting in the need for liver transplants or proving to be fatal. Close to when the universal vaccine policy commenced in 1991, infection of children had almost been made to disappear. But still, among those who did not receive the vaccine as infants are the adults over forty years of age, who still bear high rates of infection.

What Could Happen If the Vaccine Policy Changes?

If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were to cease recommending the hepatitis B vaccine through newborns, this is what might ensue:

1. Fewer Vaccinations: Because it is the CDC’s recommendations that influence both insurance coverage and the provision of vaccines at no cost, by not recommending it, a lesser number of babies may end up receiving it.
2. Treating hepatitis B is very expensive. For instance, the cost of a liver transplant is almost $900,000, and treatment of liver cancer sums up to over $93,000. There’s the vaccine, which is one of the cheapest.
3. More Infections: More children will acquire chronic hepatitis B, and more will end with either liver damage, cancer, or death and yet the prevention through universal vaccination is not done.

Prevention is also consıdered much easier and cheaper than treatment for the Hepatitis B infection. Babies will usually become infected with the disease and their immunity system doesn’t offer any resistance and that’s the reason why the virus survives. This can result in life-long affliction with health problems and increased risk for liver cancer.

I’ve taken care of hepatitis B patients. I’ve got a story. I was taking care of a young lady who needed a liver transplant because of the virus. That experience inspired me to vaccinate 36,000 children in Louisiana free of charge. No parent should lose a child to a disease that can be prevented with such an easy vaccine.

The hepatitis B vaccine debate proves that it is important to trust science and medical experts. Not all people may see the necessity of vaccinating all newborns. However, the fact is crystal clear: the vaccine is nonthreatening, effective, and lifesaving. It saves infants from a vicious virus that brings severe complications or even untimely death.

The CDC has a new vaccine committee; it is about to take up the hepatitis B vaccine, and the experts wish the discussion will center on child protection. Every infant should have the right to a healthy beginning in life, and the hepatitis B vaccine offers a sure way of doing so.