A major shift in Britain's vaccination strategy is underway, as the government's key advisory panel now recommends that all adults should be offered protection against hepatitis B. This move marks a significant departure from the previous policy, which focused immunisation efforts solely on individuals deemed to be at high risk of contracting the virus.
A New Universal Approach to Hepatitis B Prevention
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which guides ministers on vaccine policy, has published new draft guidance. The committee concluded that a universal hepatitis B immunisation programme for adults is now considered cost-effective and should be implemented. This recommendation is a pivotal step towards the UK's commitment to the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by the year 2030.
For decades, the UK's strategy has been to vaccinate only those in specific risk groups. This includes healthcare workers, people who inject drugs, individuals with certain medical conditions, close contacts of infected persons, and those travelling to high-risk countries. The JCVI's new position acknowledges that this targeted approach has inherent limitations, as it can miss a substantial number of cases and places a burden on healthcare professionals to assess individual risk.
Understanding the Virus and the Current Landscape
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. It is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. While many countries adopted universal childhood vaccination against hepatitis B years ago, the UK was an outlier, opting for the selective strategy. The JCVI's latest analysis suggests the landscape has changed, making a broader rollout both feasible and desirable.
The committee's interim advice, published on Friday, 6th December 2025, follows a period of detailed modelling and review. Professor Andrew Pollard, the chair of the JCVI, emphasised that the existing risk-based programme "has not controlled the infection effectively" in the UK. He stated that the evidence now clearly supports a move to offer the vaccine to all adults, which would simplify the process for both patients and the National Health Service.
Implications and the Path Forward
The practical implementation of this recommendation would involve offering the hepatitis B vaccine through primary care services, such as GP surgeries. The JCVI has specified that adults should be offered a three-dose schedule of the vaccine. This policy shift is expected to have a profound impact on public health, significantly reducing the number of new chronic infections, cases of liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer linked to the virus.
This draft guidance is now open for a standard consultation period, allowing stakeholders and experts to provide feedback. Following this, the Department of Health and Social Care will consider the final advice. If adopted, the UK will join many other nations in providing widespread protection against this preventable liver infection, marking a historic step in the nation's immunisation programme and bringing the goal of hepatitis B elimination within closer reach.
