BACKGROUND: Routine use of @entity1956 vaccine for low-risk newborns was suspended on July 7, 1999, because of concern about the potential risk of thimerosal, a @entity349 -containing vaccine preservative. Reinstatement of the birth dose was recommended when a thimerosal-free vaccine became available. OBJECTIVE: To explore changes in @entity1956 vaccination practices for newborns related to the revised recommendations for low-risk @entity1 (in this study, the terms newborn and @entity1 are used interchangeably). DESIGN: A telephone survey of a random sample of 1000 US hospitals. @entity1 : Nurse managers, nursery directors, and staff nurses of the newborn nurseries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nursery vaccination practices before and after July 7, 1999, and the availability and use of thimerosal-free vaccine. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted with 773 (87%) of 886 eligible hospitals. Before July 7, 1999, 78% of the hospitals reported vaccination practices that were consistent with recommendations at that time, although only 47% vaccinated all low-risk @entity1 at birth. After July 7, 1999, almost all hospitals discontinued vaccination of low-risk @entity1 , in accordance with the recommendation change; however, there was a 6-fold increase in the number of hospitals that were not vaccinating all high-risk @entity1 . After the introduction of thimerosal-free vaccine, only 39% of the hospitals reported vaccinating all low-risk @entity1 . CONCLUSIONS: Most hospital nurseries altered their newborn @entity1956 vaccination practices consistent with changes in national recommendations. However, unintended consequences included the failure of some hospitals to continue vaccinating all high-risk @entity1 and the delay in reintroducing vaccination for low-risk newborns after the introduction of a thimerosal-free vaccine. Assessments of the appropriateness of this country's response to the threat of thimerosal in vaccines should consider these findings.

XXXX vaccination practices in hospital newborn nurseries before and after changes in vaccination recommendations.

@entity349 :: ('MESH:D008628', 'Chemical') :: ['mercury'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['infants', 'PARTICIPANTS', 'infant'] @entity1956 :: ('MESH:D006509', 'Disease') :: ['hepatitis B']
@entity1956 :: (MESH:D006509,Disease) :: ['Hepatitis B']
