Evaluating hepatitis B universal birth dose vaccination at Minnesota birthing hospitals by utilizing immunization...

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) examined hospital practices as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice in 2005 that hepatitis B vaccine should be administered universally to newborn infants prior to hospital discharge and within 12 hours of birth if their mothers test positive or are admitted with unknown status for hepatitis B surface antigen.

The MDH conducted a survey of perinatal hepatitis B birth dosing policies in Minnesota birthing hospitals, which prompted (1) and investigation of hospital birth dose rates from the Immunization Information System (IIS) and (2) a chart review of three selected hospitals with low rates.

The (IIS) records of children born in Minnesota during 2007 and the first 5 months of 2008 showed a hepatitis B birth dose rate that was lower than expected (2007: 37%; 2008: 48%). The chart review of three hospitals with low birth does rates showed rates for the first 6 months of 2008 of 94%, 89%, and 91% compared with IIS rates of 1.4%, 40%, and 39% respectively, during the same time period.

These results prompted MDH to increase efforts to provide education to birth registrars on the importance of hepatitis B vaccine data on the birth certificate and to promote regular transmission of hospital vaccination data to the IIS.