Hepatitis B WHO target for percentage of eligible infants who have received a timely vaccination after birth

Last updated on Thursday, 20 November 2025 at 03:52pm

Summary

• Topic: Hepatitis-B
• Category: vaccinations
• API name: hepatitis-b_vaccinations_percentageInfantsBirthDoseTargetWHO

Rationale

This metric shows WHO target for the percentage of all eligible infants receiving a hepatitis B vaccination through the selective vaccination programme within 24 hours after birth in England.

Definition

The WHO target is for at least 90% of all newborn babies born to women living with hepatitis B to receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

Methodology

The target is based on the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis (2022-2030). National vaccination data are compared against this target to track progress.

Caveats

The WHO target is global and may differ slightly from UK program targets. Accurate and timely recording of vaccination is essential for comparison. Home births or relayed hospital discharges may affect how quickly babies receive the vaccination.