HBV infection is a major global health concern, with over 350 million people chronically infected [1,2]. HBV is transmitted by inoculation or by mucosal contact with blood or secretions from a person with HBV, and newborns can be infected at birth from mothers with chronic hepatitis B infection. Most of the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic HBV infection is due to liver cirrhosis and cancer that occurs decades after initial infection. The risk of becoming chronically infected is highest if exposure occurs in the peripartum period and approximately 25% of children who develop chronic infection later die from either hepatocellular carcinoma or cirrhosis [3]. In 1990, the WHO recommended the introduction of HBV vaccine in all national immunization programs and that infants born in HBV-endemic areas receive HBV vaccine at birth, and then again at 1 and 6 months of age. The principal aim of this strategy is to prevent mother-to-child transmission in the peripartum period, as infection at this age results in the highest risk of becoming chronically infected [2,3]. A three-dose vaccine course induces protective antibody concentrations in approximately 95% of infants and children and 90% of adults [2,3]. In many countries, pregnant women undergo antenatal serological screening to detect chronic hepatitis B infection, defined as positive hepati tis B surface antigen (HBsAg), e antigen (HBeAg) or both. Women who are both HBsAg and HBeAg positive have a significantly higher risk of transmission of HBV to their newborn baby compared with women only positive for HBsAg (~85 vs 10%) [4–6]. The risk is also higher if a woman acquires acute HBV infection during pregnancy. If a woman is detected as having chronic HBV infection during pregnancy, the newborn is recommended