Economic Impact of Delaying the Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination Schedule

What is the impact of delaying vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) among US infants?In this economic evaluation including 3.6 million infants, delaying administration of the first hepatitis B vaccine dose from birth to age 2 months for a single annual US birth cohort among infants whose birthing parents test negative for HBV could result in additional preventable HBV infections among children by age 18 years, including hepatocellular carcinoma cases, HBV-related deaths, and millions of dollars in excess lifetime health care costs.Study results quantify the importance of administering the first hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth for preventing childhood HBV transmission.

Corresponding Author: Eric W. Hall, PhD, MPH, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health halleri@ohsu.edu).

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