""It would be extremely dangerous and it's a totally irresponsible suggestion," says Dr. Andrew Pavia, a professor of pediatrics and medicine with the University of Utah and a pediatric and adult infectious disease specialist. Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver. The disease has no cure and chronic infection can lead to serious outcomes such as liver cancer, cirrhosis and death."
"Before the U.S. began universally vaccinating newborns in 1991, some 18,000 children a year would become infected before the age of 10. About half were infected through motherto-child transmission, Pavia says. Giving newborns the shot right after birth prevents the virus from taking hold. The other half of kids got infected from somewhere else. "There have been cases of infections in daycare. There have been cases of infection on sports teams. There have been documented infections from shared toothbrushes and from shared razors," he says. The virus is found in blood, saliva, semen and other bodily fluids, even tears, and it can live on surfaces for up to seven days."
A proposal to delay hepatitis B vaccination until age 12 conflicts with established pediatric recommendations and raises serious risk. Hepatitis B attacks the liver, has no cure, and chronic infection can cause liver cancer, cirrhosis, and death. Infection acquired in infancy carries much higher risk of chronic disease; about 25% of children who develop chronic hepatitis B will die from their infection. Before universal newborn vaccination began in 1991, roughly 18,000 children were infected annually before age 10, about half via mother-to-child transmission. Newborn vaccination administered shortly after birth prevents early infection. The virus transmits through blood and bodily fluids and can persist on surfaces for days, enabling nonsexual transmission among children.
Read at www.npr.org
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