State health officials are going to continue recommending a hepatitis B shot for all newborns within 24 hours of birth despite a new recommendation to contrary Friday by a panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Joel Terriquez said his agency believes that the risks to newborns of not getting what until now has been standard medical procedure for decades far outweighs any concern about the immunizations. And Terriquez, who heads both the department’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Services and the Bureau of Immunization Services for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said scrapping the practice will lead to more children with lifelong medical complications and even the need for liver transplants.

He acknowledged that the action by the CDC’s Advisory Committee o

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