CCHD Joins IDPH in Reaffirming Hepatitis B Vaccination Recommendation

(Undated) — The Crawford County Health Department is joining the Illinois Department of Public Health in reaffirming the recommendation for a universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. The CCHD and IDPH say the guidance aligns with decades of scientific consensus. They say hepatitis B is a serious virus that can lead to liver damage, cancer, and even death. About 90% of infants infected within the first year of life will develop chronic hepatitis B infection and among those with chronic infection, 25% will die prematurely from the disease. Universal Hepatitis B guidelines implemented nationwide in 1991 called for newborns to be vaccinated within 24 hours of birth.