Babies should continue to get the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth, the West Coast Health Alliance said late Friday afternoon — disagreeing with a federal vaccine advisory committee’s new recommendation to delay the shots.

The multistate group, which includes Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaiʻi, said it strongly supports the guidance that’s been in place for 30 years, that all newborns weighing at least 4 pounds, 7 ounces should receive the first dose of the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

The West Coast Health Alliance’s recommendation pushes back against an 8-3 decision earlier Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which says parents should first discuss with providers whether to give the vaccine at al

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