Colorado rejects Trump admin's newborn hepatitis B shot rollback
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Colorado is once again breaking with the Trump administration on vaccines — this time over whether newborns should receive the hepatitis B shot at birth.
Why it matters: The split deepens a growing rift between the state and federal health officials and adds more uncertainty into some of the earliest medical decisions new parents face.
Catch up quick: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handpicked vaccine advisory panel voted last week to drop the decades-old federal recommendation that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth — a dramatic reversal that drew fast, fierce criticism from public health leaders.
- The panel suggested that mothers who test negative for hepatitis could delay their infant's shot until at least two months of age, after talking with a doctor.
- Infants born to mothers who test positive would still be advised to receive the shot at birth.
Driving the news: Colorado health officials are now urging providers to ignore the panel's new directive and stick with the longstanding guidance.
- They cite "decades of scientific evidence," a strong safety record and the vaccine's role in preventing lifelong infection, liver cancer and death.
By the numbers: Colorado hasn't confirmed a single case of perinatal hepatitis B since 2016, after recording 23 cases between 2001 and 2015.
What they're saying: "Colorado has spent decades building an effective system of maternal screening and universal birth dose vaccination that has nearly eliminated infant hepatitis B infections in our state," Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of Colorado's public health department, said in a statement.
- "The hepatitis B birth dose remains safe, effective, and strongly recommended for all newborns," Ryan said.
State of play: Colorado health officials say they're pursuing emergency rulemaking to adopt the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics immunization schedule to keep Colorado's school vaccine requirements aligned with the hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation.
- Regulators are also coordinating with insurers, Medicaid and CHP+ to ensure coverage remains intact. State-regulated plans are unaffected, according to state officials.
- Meanwhile, Colorado's health department is preparing educational materials for hospital and prenatal providers and plans to work directly with birthing hospitals and centers to clear any hurdles to offering the shot at birth.
What's next: The federal panel's recommendations still need formal approval from CDC leadership.
What we're watching: President Trump has ordered his top health officials to review all U.S. childhood vaccination recommendations and align them with "best practices" from other developed countries — a move that could set up more clashes with states like Colorado.