Starting this week, babies born in many states will no longer receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth except in rare cases due to a recent change by a CDC advisory panel.

California joined Hawaii, Oregon and Washington in forming West Coast Health Alliance to maintain uniform public policy on the birth dose of hepatitis B and continue access under public insurance programs.

Pediatricians, preschool teachers and public health experts say they’ve seen a surge in families uncertain about how to proceed.

For most American infants, the hepatitis B shot comes just before their first bath, in the blur of pokes, prods and pictures that attend a 21st century hospital delivery.

But as of this week, thousands of newborns across the U.S. will no longer receive the initial inoculation for hepatiti

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