Julia Raifman, ScD
@juliaraifman.bsky.social
Evidence-based posts about public health & equity. All views are my own.
The US would be a real outlier if Hep B vaccines were delayed until age 12, especially among high-income countries.
And babies born in the US would be affected, as they were before ACIP recommended a universal birth dose of the Hep B vaccine in 1991
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1734395/
And babies born in the US would be affected, as they were before ACIP recommended a universal birth dose of the Hep B vaccine in 1991
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1734395/
![Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus infection to United States-born children of Hmong refugees
M B Hurie et al. Pediatrics. 1992 Feb.
There is evidence that hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission continues among Southeast Asian refugees after resettlement. To determine the prevalence of HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positive or core antibody positive) and modes of transmission in Hmong refugee households in Wisconsin, results of serologic tests were reviewed for 429 US-born children not previously vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine and 754 of their Asian-born household members. The prevalence of HBV infection was 14% (62/429) among all US-born children, 30% (21/69) among children whose mothers were HBsAg-positive, and 11% (41/360) among children whose mothers were HBsAg-negative. Among children whose mothers were HBsAg-negative, the prevalence of HBV infection increased with increasing age (chi 2 test for trend = 5.6, P = .02) and was related to the household presence of HBsAg-positive sibling(s) (relative risk = 4.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 9.3; P less than .001). Of the 62 infected children, 13 (21%) lived in households with no HBsAg-positive household members. US-born children of Hmong refugees apparently acquire HBV infection through both horizontal and perinatal transmission. These findings emphasize the importance of routinely integrating hepatitis B vaccine doses into the childhood vaccination schedule for all infants whose parents are from areas where HBV infection is highly endemic. In addition, the findings support the need for pediatricians to consider vaccinating older children (up to age 7 years) whose parents are from HBV-endemic areas.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ry6nz3msmniq24fqaqdcdayf/bafkreihe3d4kky6dllnusg6y5t7hhl4e7yfuhllmc2qsniqfwwjtyjl77q@jpeg)
November 23, 2025 at 10:55 PM
The US would be a real outlier if Hep B vaccines were delayed until age 12, especially among high-income countries.
And babies born in the US would be affected, as they were before ACIP recommended a universal birth dose of the Hep B vaccine in 1991
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1734395/
And babies born in the US would be affected, as they were before ACIP recommended a universal birth dose of the Hep B vaccine in 1991
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1734395/
This is a case study describing horizontal transmission of Hepatitis B in a daycare. It turned out a child with some biting/scratching behavior was a carrier of Hepatitis B 😬
Note the study is from 1989! Such cases declined a great deal after ACIP recommended perinatal Hep B vaccination in 1991
Note the study is from 1989! Such cases declined a great deal after ACIP recommended perinatal Hep B vaccination in 1991
Hepatitis B virus transmission between children in day care - PubMed
We investigated two situations involving hepatitis B virus exposure among children in day care. In the first a 4-year-old boy who attended a day care center developed acute hepatitis B; another child at the center, who had a history of aggressive behavior (biting/scratching), was subsequently found …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
This is a case study describing horizontal transmission of Hepatitis B in a daycare. It turned out a child with some biting/scratching behavior was a carrier of Hepatitis B 😬
Note the study is from 1989! Such cases declined a great deal after ACIP recommended perinatal Hep B vaccination in 1991
Note the study is from 1989! Such cases declined a great deal after ACIP recommended perinatal Hep B vaccination in 1991
“Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (ie, that occurring without apparent parenteral, sexual, or perinatal exposure) is common in areas endemic for the virus.
It occurs especially in pre-adolescent children.” [i.e. under 12]
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @thelancet.com
It occurs especially in pre-adolescent children.” [i.e. under 12]
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @thelancet.com
HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS
Meta-analysis of seroprevalence surveys shows that horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (ie, that occurring without apparent parenteral, sexua…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (ie, that occurring without apparent parenteral, sexual, or perinatal exposure) is common in areas endemic for the virus.
It occurs especially in pre-adolescent children.” [i.e. under 12]
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @thelancet.com
It occurs especially in pre-adolescent children.” [i.e. under 12]
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @thelancet.com
Thanks for sharing! This is a helpful map
November 20, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Thanks for sharing! This is a helpful map
“Recent decreases in coverage with most of the ACIP-recommended childhood vaccines could lead to a
Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, varicella, & rotavirus & their
Associated morbidity & mortality”
Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, varicella, & rotavirus & their
Associated morbidity & mortality”
Decline in Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months and Vaccination Inequities Among Children Born in 2020 and 2021 — National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2021–2023
An official website of the United States government
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 20, 2025 at 12:44 AM
“Recent decreases in coverage with most of the ACIP-recommended childhood vaccines could lead to a
Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, varicella, & rotavirus & their
Associated morbidity & mortality”
Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, varicella, & rotavirus & their
Associated morbidity & mortality”
I thought this walking school bus was a great idea in Chicago and hope more communities may be able to organize similar efforts — and am very sorry it’s needed
news.wttw.com/2025/11/13/v...
news.wttw.com/2025/11/13/v...
Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’
“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vend...
news.wttw.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I thought this walking school bus was a great idea in Chicago and hope more communities may be able to organize similar efforts — and am very sorry it’s needed
news.wttw.com/2025/11/13/v...
news.wttw.com/2025/11/13/v...
These infections are not innocuous.
In September this year, California tragically lost another school-aged child to SSPE she developed because she contracted measles as a baby too young to yet have her measles vaccine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28387784/
In September this year, California tragically lost another school-aged child to SSPE she developed because she contracted measles as a baby too young to yet have her measles vaccine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28387784/
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: The Devastating Measles Complication That Might Be More Common Than Previously Estimated - PubMed
SSPE cases in California occurred at a high rate among unvaccinated children, particularly those infected during infancy. Protection of unvaccinated infants requires avoidance of travel to endemic areas, or early vaccination prior to travel at age 6-11 months. Clinicians should be aware of SSPE in p …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM
These infections are not innocuous.
In September this year, California tragically lost another school-aged child to SSPE she developed because she contracted measles as a baby too young to yet have her measles vaccine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28387784/
In September this year, California tragically lost another school-aged child to SSPE she developed because she contracted measles as a baby too young to yet have her measles vaccine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28387784/
Thank you for your writing and leadership!
November 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Thank you for your writing and leadership!
Thank you for your leadership & important points!
November 8, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Thank you for your leadership & important points!
From Mamdani’s victory speech,
Supporting economic security &
Supporting minority/human rights
Go hand in hand
In a compelling set of values
(& campaign message)
Supporting economic security &
Supporting minority/human rights
Go hand in hand
In a compelling set of values
(& campaign message)
November 5, 2025 at 7:52 AM
From Mamdani’s victory speech,
Supporting economic security &
Supporting minority/human rights
Go hand in hand
In a compelling set of values
(& campaign message)
Supporting economic security &
Supporting minority/human rights
Go hand in hand
In a compelling set of values
(& campaign message)