Fink Asks AZ to Match New Fed Infant Hep B Vaccine GLs

State Representative Lisa Fink (R-27) is calling on the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to revise its guidance on newborn hepatitis B vaccinations following a recent change adopted by federal health advisors. In a press release, Fink urged ADHS to align its recommendations with new guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which voted on December 5 to move away from a universal hepatitis B birth dose for infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B surface antigen.

According to Fink, ADHS notified health care providers earlier this week that it “continues to recommend that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery,” despite the updated federal position. ADHS has publicly reaffirmed that stance. In an official agency news release titled “Newborns Receive Hepatitis B Vaccine at Birth for Good Reason,” the department stated that it is reminding parents and health care providers of the “long-standing, evidence-based practice” of administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns within 24 hours of birth. The release emphasizes ADHS’s position that the birth dose remains an important public-health tool.

The ADHS release is available here.

Under the revised ACIP guidance, parents of infants born to mothers testing negative for hepatitis B may choose whether and when to administer the vaccine. However, if the birth dose is declined, ACIP recommends that the first dose not be given before two months of age.

“Arizona’s health department should not stand alone defending an outdated one-size-fits-all policy when the federal advisory panel and the President are urging a more cautious, evidence-based approach,” Fink said.

Fink also pointed to a presidential directive issued the same day as the ACIP vote, in which President Trump directed federal health agencies to review the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and compare it with best practices in peer nations where supported by scientific evidence.

“For healthy babies born to hepatitis B-negative mothers, the updated guidance returns the decision to parents and their doctors, who can determine what is best for that child without pressure to accept an automatic birth shot,” Fink added.

ADHS has not announced any changes to its current guidance, maintaining that its mission is to “promote and protect the health and wellness of Arizona’s residents.” It is continuing to advise providers to administer the hepatitis B birth dose universally despite the new federal recommendations.

Fink questioned the department’s refusal to pause or re-examine what she described as a decades-old policy in light of the federal shift. “At a minimum, the state should update its guidance so parents know they have options, receive clear information, and are supported if they choose to follow the federal panel’s updated advice,” Fink said. “Newborns deserve that level of care, and Arizona families deserve that level of honesty.”

Fink, a Republican, represents Legislative District 27, which includes parts of Glendale, Peoria, and Phoenix.