Ashley Lamb

As a parent and a physician (pediatrician and doctor for adults) who also has a degree in public health, I very strongly oppose this bill to remove Hepatitis B from the list of vaccines required in New Hampshire. The hepatitis B vaccine prevents lifelong liver diseases, including liver cancer and liver failure. It is given in infants because it is safe at that age and when infants acquire Hepatitis B, up to 90% become chronic carriers that have a high chance of developing cancer or liver failure as adults. Hepatitis B is VERY contagious (up to 100x more than HIV) and can live in a tiny amount of blood on a surface, such as a towel or door knob, for an extended period of time. Caregivers can inadvertently touch a surface with infectious blood on it (imagine someone cuts themselves shaving and wipes their face with a towel) and then touch a child to transmit the infection. The Hepatitis B vaccine is a crucial, highly effective safety net against a serious, extremely easily transmissible virus, preventing preventable deaths and chronic illness. The low rates of Hepatitis B today are proof of the Hepatitis B vaccine's success, not a reason to abandon it. Weakening the mandate creates false uncertainty, jeopardizes community health, and risks resurgence of the disease, making universal, early vaccination essential.