NEW YORK, NY — NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital is pleased to announce it is one of only twenty-five hospitals to be recognized by The New York State Department of Health Bureau of Immunization Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program. The hospital has been placed on the Immunization Action Coalition Birth Dose Honor Roll by achieving a 90% or higher coverage rate in 2015 for the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and also passed their most recent lot quality assurance visit.
“We are pleased to be a leader in the fight against Hepatitis B and I am proud of the physicians, nurses, and staff members of NYP/Lawrence Hospital who are dedicated to the health of our communities,” said Michael J. Fosina, MPA, FACHE, President of NYP/Lawrence Hospital.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all endorse the Hepatitis B Birth Dose.
According to their letter of endorsement (http://www.immunize.org/honor-roll/birthdose/apply.aspx), “It is recommended that the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine be administered prior to hospital discharge for every newborn in the United States. In addition, the birth dose coverage rate has been adopted as a measure of hospital quality by the National Quality Forum. This birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is the first step in creating a vaccine safety net that will protect infants from hepatitis B infection and from the development of chronic hepatitis B infection if acquired through contact with an infected mother, household member, or caregiver. Data from the July 2011–June 2012 National Immunization Survey (NIS) found that 70% of U.S. newborns received a dose of hepatitis B vaccine by 3 days of age. The NIS data show a marked amount of variability by state in the use of the birth dose, ranging from 88% all the way down to only 29%. This variability indicates that it is feasible for most states to do substantially better on their birth dose coverage, and that all states need to improve the use of the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to enhance protection of newborn infants. An estimated 800 U.S. newborns are still becoming chronically infected with hepatitis B each year from exposure at birth or during the first months of life. We are encouraging all hospitals to have policies in place to protect newborns from this important cause of liver failure and liver cancer.”
The hepatitis B hospital birth rates since 2012 can be viewed here: https://health.data.ny.gov/Health/Hepatitis-B-Birth-Dose-Vaccination-Rates-Beginning/favj-y88j