Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates Decline

Experts warn of rising misinformation and skepticism impacting childhood immunization coverage.

Feb. 24, 2026 at 1:26pm

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New research published in JAMA shows the rate of hepatitis B virus vaccinations given to newborns fell by 10 percentage points between 2023 and 2025, dropping to just over 73%. Experts cite increased anti-vaccine messaging, including from a federal health official, as well as a shift in focus toward other childhood immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic as factors behind the decline.

Why it matters

Hepatitis B is a serious, potentially life-threatening liver infection that can lead to chronic disease and liver cancer. Newborn vaccination is critical to preventing transmission and long-term complications, but declining rates raise concerns about the resurgence of this preventable disease, especially among high-risk populations.

The details

The study, led by Dr. Joshua Rothman at UC San Diego, analyzed electronic health records representing over 12.4 million newborns. Vaccination rates rose from 67.5% in 2017 to a peak of 83.5% in 2023, before dropping to 73.2% by August 2025. Experts say they expect further declines following a federal recommendation to provide the vaccine only to newborns of mothers who test positive or whose status is unknown, while delaying it for others until 2 months of age.

  • Vaccination rates rose from 67.5% in January 2017 to a peak of 83.5% in February 2023.
  • Vaccination rates declined to 73.2% by August 2025, a drop of over 12 percentage points.

The players

Joshua Rothman, MD, MS

An assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who led the research on declining hepatitis B vaccination rates.

James D. Campbell, MD, MS

A professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.

Sharon Nachman, MD

The chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Stony Brook Children's Hospital in Stony Brook, New York.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary who made claims that babies do not need the hepatitis B vaccine and that it raises the risk of autism, despite these claims being debunked.

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What they’re saying

“I always ask people, 'Have you ever taken care of a child with cirrhosis, with liver failure? Have you ever been there in an ICU when an unvaccinated teenager died after two liver transplants because they hadn't had hepatitis B vaccine, a $30 shot?' I can say yes to all of those questions, most people cannot.”

— James D. Campbell, MD, MS, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine

“I can't tell parents enough, hepatitis B kills children. Vaccinate. This is going to be the one life-saving thing you could do right at this minute.”

— Sharon Nachman, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Stony Brook Children's Hospital

What’s next

Experts say they expect vaccination rates to further decrease following a federal recommendation to provide the hepatitis B vaccine only to newborns of mothers who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown. Babies born to women without the virus can receive the vaccine starting at 2 months of age, after parents and clinicians undertake shared decision-making.

The takeaway

The decline in newborn hepatitis B vaccination rates is a concerning trend that highlights the growing influence of anti-vaccine misinformation and skepticism. Ensuring high vaccination coverage is critical to protecting vulnerable infants and preventing the resurgence of this serious, but preventable, liver disease.