S2E375 - MTM - Why are we giving Hepatitis B Vaccine to Newborns?

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A newborn’s first day should be calm, not a crash course in public health policy. We dive into why a vaccine built for adult risk factors—unprotected sex and shared needles—became a universal ritual in the nursery, and we trace the decisions, incentives, and safety debates that cemented it there. From hospital “quality measures” that reward blanket compliance to maternal screening protocols that already catch most perinatal risk, we examine whether universal dosing truly delivers the best protection at the right time.

I walk through the historical arc: early hepatitis...