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3h ago

Vitamin K Shot Refusals Are Rising in the U.S., With Preventable Infant Bleeds Reported

Misinformation online drives refusals rooted in post-pandemic distrust.

Fewer infants are getting vitamin K shots at birth, leading to a potentially higher infant mortality rate from bleeding in the U.S., a December 2025 study and new ProPublica investigation found.
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Overview

  • ProPublica, which published an investigation Wednesday, reported recent infant deaths tied to vitamin K deficiency bleeding after parents declined the shot.
  • A JAMA analysis of about five million births found non-receipt rose from 2.92% in 2017 to 5.18% in 2024, with the fastest increase after 2020.
  • Hospitals report sharp local spikes, with Mercy logging 1,552 declines in 2025 versus 536 in 2021 and St. Luke’s in Idaho confirming at least two VKDB deaths as some facilities near 20% refusal.
  • Doctors note that infants who skip the single injection are about 81 times more likely to develop VKDB, which often involves brain or intestinal bleeding and has an estimated one-in-five mortality rate.
  • The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the shot, and Rep. Kim Schrier has pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to publicly encourage parents to accept it.