ANA Urges Evidence-Based Decision-Making and Policies that Protect the Health of Infants, Families, and Communities
SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA) reaffirms its strong support for immunizations as essential to protecting the health of individuals, families, and communities following today’s vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to discontinue the universal recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
ANA’s Position Statement on Immunizations (2025) states that “effective protection of the public health mandates that all individuals receive immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases according to the best and most current evidence.” The universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine has been a cornerstone of this protection for more than 30 years. The hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective, preventing more than 95 percent of infections when administered as recommended and protecting nearly all newborns from developing chronic hepatitis B, according to data from the World Health Organization.
“The hepatitis B birth dose has long represented one of the great success stories in public health,” said ANA President Dr. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Nurses have witnessed firsthand the power of prevention. As the most trusted profession, we have both an ethical and professional obligation to advocate for evidence-based immunization practices that protect the most vulnerable. Especially newborns, who depend on us to keep them safe.”
ANA emphasizes that immunizations are a critical component of primary disease prevention and a vital public health intervention. Nurses must advocate for, educate, and advise patients to adhere to vaccination schedules recommended by solid research and the patient’s healthcare provider, explaining their need and public health implications.
Any change to existing vaccination recommendations must be guided by robust scientific evidence, transparent review, and broad stakeholder engagement, including nurses and other frontline health professionals who play an essential role in vaccine education and administration.
“Decades of nursing leadership and public health progress have shown that vaccines save lives,” said Dr. Mensik Kennedy. “ANA stands ready to work with federal agencies, scientific experts, and our partners across health care to ensure that vaccination policies continue to reflect the best available evidence and uphold our shared responsibility to prevent disease and protect the public.”