Prevention of hepatitis B virus vertical transmission: time for the next step.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to be a worldwide public health concern. There are more than 240 million people with chronic infection across the globe and 780 000 deaths each year as a result of acute or chronic HBV. Infants born to mothers with chronic HBV infection are at very high risk of acquiring the virus and progressing to chronic infection. In the 1970s–1980s, HBV vaccine and high-titer HBV immune globulin (HBIG) were effective in preventing vertical transmission (VT), and the combination was ∼90% effective. Prevention programs have since focused on universal screening of pregnant women for HBV surface antigen to identify those requiring prophylaxis.