LANSING – Vaccines play a critical role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases and have led to the eradication of several diseases and significant reductions in illnesses and fatalities. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services strongly disagrees with the decision made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week to delay the hepatitis B birth dose and urges families and providers to follow the immunization schedules from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Nearly 1.6 million people in the United States are estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis B virus, with about half not realizing they have the virus. Infection can be transmitted through casual contact with blood or certain body fluids

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