Ethiopia has launched the Hepatitis B Birth Dose (HepB BD) vaccine nationwide on 25 November 2025, targeting its 3.8 million annual births with a goal of 80% coverage to stop mother-to-child transmission. The rollout—supported by World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF—aims to deliver the first dose within 24 hours of birth, a step proven to prevent up to 90% of lifelong infections acquired at birth. Ethiopia completed extensive readiness work, training 100+ immunization leaders and achieving a 97% national readiness score, alongside pilots in three regions to refine operations. The programme adds a 15th routine vaccine to Ethiopia’s schedule and is expected to sharply cut childhood Hepatitis B infections.
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