Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration today shared their submitted comments ahead of the CDC’s upcoming Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting where recommendations related to the hepatitis B vaccine will be reviewed.
Hepatitis B vaccinations have been recommended universally for newborns since 1991. Globally, the virus, which is often asymptomatic, is commonly transmitted during birth. Newborn infection can have dangerous, lifelong consequences. According to Johns Hopkins University, nine in 10 infants who are not vaccinated and contract hepatitis B in their first year of life develop complications from the virus that can lead to liver failure or death, but in the 34 years since the hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended, infections in children and teens have decreased by 99 percent. Studies have shown that when a newborn is vaccinated against Hepatitis B, protection extends into adulthood.
Cosigned by Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen, Secretary of Human Services Dr. Val Arkoosh, and Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys, the Administration’s comments highlight decades of science-backed evidence that clearly demonstrate a decline in cases of pediatric hepatitis B, writing:
“The Departments strongly urge ACIP to maintain and reaffirm current recommendations for the hepatitis B vaccine across all currently indicated populations. Hepatitis B vaccination is a cornerstone of public health and one of the most effective tools in preventing chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Decades of evidence demonstrate its safety, efficacy, and critical role in reducing both perinatal and community transmission. Weakening or removing current hepatitis B vaccine recommendations would risk reversing hard-won, lifesaving progress in disease prevention and would have serious implications for public health infrastructure and vaccine confidence nationwide.
“Consistent, evidence-based recommendations from ACIP help ensure that vaccines—especially those with long-standing public health benefit such as hepatitis B—remain widely available and fully covered by insurance. Clear and comprehensive guidance aligns payers, providers, and public health systems, enabling individuals who wish to receive vaccines to do so without barriers. Conversely, lack of a recommendation can create confusion, limit coverage, and reduce access, effectively restricting the ability of individuals to make informed choices about their health.
“The evidence from Pennsylvania is clear: when vaccines are recommended and accessible, disease declines; when access falters, preventable infections return. The hepatitis B vaccine—particularly the universal birth dose—has nearly eliminated pediatric cases of hepatitis B in the Commonwealth and remains essential to protecting infants from perinatal and household transmission.
“Pennsylvania data illustrate the impact of these efforts. Following the implementation of the hepatitis B birth-dose and routine childhood series, the state saw a 95 percent reduction in disease incidence over four decades in acute hepatitis B cases, demonstrating the strong protective effect of early immunization programs. Perinatal transmission and transmission to infants and toddlers has been nearly eliminated. There have been no cases of perinatal transmission in Pennsylvania since 2019, and no cases acquired in children less than age 4 years since 2007 – these represent remarkable and lasting public health successes.
“Given this context, any weakening, narrowing, or removal of the ACIP recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination would carry grave implications. A shift in recommendation could translate into reduced insurance coverage, diminished access, confusion among patients and clinicians, and ultimately reduced vaccine uptake. In Pennsylvania, where chronic hepatitis B remains prevalent, such a change would jeopardize decades of progress and risk increased transmission, elevated rates of chronic disease, and higher long-term costs to individuals and the healthcare system.”
View the full submitted comments here.
In October, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2025-02, which protects access to life-saving, evidence-based, safe vaccinations in Pennsylvania and protects families’ freedoms to make their own informed health care decision. The Executive Order:
- Requires state agencies to align vaccine guidance with trusted medical experts;
- Ensures coverage of recommended vaccines through private insurance to the fullest extent of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s authority;
- Directs the Department of Human Service to take necessary steps, in accordance with law, to ensure coverage of recommended vaccines through Medicaid;
- Establishes a Vaccine Education Workgroup to strengthen communication and combat misinformation;
- Directs the Departments of Aging and Education to ensure older adults and schools have access to evidence-based guidance on vaccines; and,
- Launches www.pa.gov/vaccines as a centralized resource for Pennsylvania residents.
For more information on vaccinations in Pennsylvania, visit www.pa.gov/vaccines.
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