STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative Lisa Fink today urged the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to update its newborn hepatitis B guidance to align with recent federal recommendations that emphasize parental choice and individual medical decisions.

Earlier this week, ADHS notified providers that it “continues to recommend that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery,” even though federal authorities now advise a different approach for infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B.

On December 5, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to move away from a universal birth dose for babies whose mothers test hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative. ACIP recommended that parents, with their doctors, decide whether and when to administer the dose. If the birth dose is declined, the first dose should not be given before 2 months of age. That same day, 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.

“Arizona’s health department should not stand alone defending an outdated one-size-fits-all policy when the federal advisory panel and the President are urging a more cautious, evidence-based approach,” said Representative Fink.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

Representative Fink praised the ACIP action and the presidential directive as a step toward bringing our vaccine schedule back into line with other developed countries, and questioned why ADHS is ignoring that shift.

“ADHS says it ‘promotes and protects the health and wellness of Arizona’s residents,’ yet it refuses to pause and re-examine a 30-year-old policy despite new federal recommendations,” Representative Fink added. “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. Newborns deserve that level of care, and Arizona families deserve that level of honesty.”

Lisa Fink is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 27, which includes areas of Glendale, Peoria, and Phoenix. Follow her on X at @lisa_llfink.