Flavia Martin

Universal childhood Hepatitis B vaccination has been one of the most successful public health interventions in reducing chronic infection rates. Rolling back requirements reverses this progress and increases long-term healthcare costs related to liver failure, transplants, and cancer care. Universal hepatitis B vaccination, recommended for all newborns in the U.S. since 1991, has led to a dramatic decline in case rates, with a 99% decrease in reported cases among children and teens from 1990 to 2019. In the years before universal vaccination, the U.S. saw around 200,000 to 300,000 new hepatitis B infections annually, including about 20,000 children. Following the 1991 recommendation, the disease was virtually eliminated in children under 18. Overall annual cases nationwide dropped to around 14,000, and liver cancer among children has plummeted I strongly OPPOSE this bill. Flavia Martin, Registered Nurse