Vaccinations at Birth (hepB?)

[Lccjblu]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So we know that the baby's immune system is immature at birth, that IgG is passed over the placenta from mother to baby...

it seems as though most vaccinations are given at 2months. According to the CDC, though, HepB vaccine is given at birth (and then boosters thereafter). Any ideas why HepB in particular can be given at birth? Shouldn't the surface antigen of hepB technically need a response by a mature immune system to generate immunity?

Article by CDC detailing ages of vaccinations, where my question arose: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-multi.pdf

 

[beatsbydre]

"While OBGYNs suggest the mother be tested prior to delivery, there are many instances when this does not occur, or when it is possible that the mother contracts the disease in the period after testing, but before birth. Properly identifying infected mothers is complicated since there can be errors in test ordering, result interpretation or even test inaccuracy. Therefore, administering the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine soon after birth minimizes the risk for infection from the mother or from other infected persons who may be living in the household. Additionally, the hepatitis B vaccine can actually help prevent infection in infants who are born from mothers with the virus in their blood. This serves as another important fact to support vaccinating your child according to the recommended schedule."

http://shotofprevention.com/2010/05/06/why-infants-should-receive-the-hepatitis-b-vaccine-at-birth/