As organizations committed to eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat, we commend the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for including “Evaluation of Hepatitis B and C” quality measures in the 2027 Medicaid Adult Core Set. We strongly encourage all State Medicaid programs to adopt these measures, which will support identifying disparities in screening rates across demographic groups or regions and facilitate better tracking and understanding of the number and percentage of people who are tested for hepatitis B, tested for hepatitis C, and treated for hepatitis C in the U.S. The goals for the Adult Core Set are to encourage national reporting by states on a uniform set of measures and to support states in using them to drive quality improvement. 

Adopting these hepatitis measures will help to ensure the highest quality of service delivery for Medicaid recipients, fostering better identification of new cases and linkage of people diagnosed with viral hepatitis to the care and cure that they need. Hepatitis B remains underdiagnosed in the U.S., with nearly 70% of people living with hepatitis B unaware they are living with the disease. That number is estimated to be higher among Medicaid recipients, who often have additional barriers to accessing healthcare. New research from Kishore, et al., found that about 1.3 million people received hepatitis C treatment between 2013 and 2025, with the highest number treated in 2015 and a steady decline since then—even after newer, easier-to-use medications became available. Many with chronic hepatitis B or C don’t experience or recognize symptoms and can develop liver failure or cancer as the disease progresses. Timely testing, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis prevents serious liver damage, reduces transmission and risk of liver cancer, and improves overall health outcomes.

We commend the Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN) for leading these efforts in collaboration with academic-state partnerships in DE, MD, MI, OH, PA and VA and are pleased to support this effective tool that will help the U.S. move towards eliminating viral hepatitis. The adoption of this quality measure will help improve the services necessary for Medicaid populations and communities disproportionately impacted by viral hepatitis. Several health centers and health systems have already piloted this measure and found it to be practical, feasible, and actionable with proper guidance. Therefore, we urge State Medicaid programs to begin the process of implementing and reporting on this measure and stand ready to support them in those efforts.

Sincerely,

Hepatitis B Foundation

Hep B United

NASTAD

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)

Join us to learn about resources and best practices to navigate the newly updated hepatitis B primary care provider guidance from those who helped update them.

Day and Time: Thursday February 19th 3 EST | 12 PM PST

Speakers:

Dr. David Spach, Editor-in-Chief, Hepatitis B Online

Dr. Amy Tang, Director of Viral Hepatitis and TB Programs, North East Medical Services

Register here!

We reaffirm that the hepatitis B vaccine, including the birth dose, is safe and saves lives. Over 40 years of extensive global research show a strong safety record and clear benefits to vaccinating against hepatitis B at birth. Thanks to the long-standing recommendation (1991-2025) for universal hepatitis B birth dose and completion of the full, three-dose hepatitis B vaccine series, hepatitis B transmission among U.S. children has been nearly eliminated, even in areas where the virus was once endemic – an undeniable achievement and a true public health success story that should be celebrated.

We continue to stand firmly with the established science, longstanding clinical guidelines by numerous medical societies domestically and globally, and the real-world successes that have significantly reduced hepatitis B infections and deaths. Our organizations remain committed to ensuring access to the birth dose and the full 3-dose hepatitis B vaccine series, promoting evidence-based best practices, and supporting the health of every community we serve.

Routine universal hepatitis B birth dose and completion of the full 3-dose vaccination remain essential to sustaining the progress we have made in preventing a virus that can cause lifelong infection and liver cancer. As hepatitis B continues to pose a serious health threat, maintaining strong birth-dose coverage is critical to protecting infants from the earliest moments of life and preventing future disease. Our organizations will continue working together to uphold this proven intervention and to strengthen the health and safety of each community we serve.

Signed Organizations (as of 12/15):
Hep B United
Hepatitis B Foundation

AIDS Action Baltimore
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families
AIDS Foundation Chicago
AIDS United
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American College of Gastroenterology
American Gastroenterological Association
American Liver Foundation
American Pacific Health Foundation
Asian Center – Southeast Michigan
Asian Health Coalition
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Centers (AAPCHO)
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Caring Ambassadors Program
Center for Disease Analysis Foundation
Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation
Charles B Wang Community Health Center
Chinese American Medical Society
Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO)
Community Liver Alliance
Community Welfare Services of Metro Detroit
eGlobal Family
Empire Liver Foundation
End Hep C SF
End The Epidemics: Californians Mobilizing to End HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STIs, and Overdose
Equitas Health
Equity Is the Word
Five Horizons Health Services
Global Liver Institute
Hawai’i Health and Harm Reduction Center
Hawai’i Learning Groups
Health Betterment Initiative
HealthHIV
Hep B Free
Hep B United Philadelphia
Hep Free Hawaii
HIV Medicine Association
Housing Works
Immunization Alliance for Equtiy and Access
International Coalition to Eliminate HBV
John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc
Micronesian Education for Liver Wellness Project
Mongolian Community Health Network
Montefiore Starfish
NASTAD
National Alliance for HIV Education and Workforce Development
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
National Task Force on Hepatitis B
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
National Working Positive Coalition
New Jersey Hepatitis Coalition
NMAC
North East Medical Services
Pacific Community of Alaska
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
PrEP4All
Somos Tuberculosis
STOP TB USA
TB Elimination Alliance
The AIDS Institute
The Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group-HCMSG
The US Coalition for African Immigrant Health
Treatment Action Group
Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance (TEA)
United Liver
Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Vaccinate Your Family
Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board
Vital Access Care Foundation
Vivent Health

SIGN ON YOUR ORGANIZATION HERE

What does the vote mean?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) completed two significant votes that will impact the U.S. childhood immunization schedule.

First, ACIP voted to remove the well-established recommendation in place since 1991 to vaccinate all babies at birth against hepatitis B, regardless of the mother’s status. It is now officially recommended that only babies born to mothers living with hepatitis B should receive the hepatitis B birth dose, which moves the U.S. from universal birth dose to a risk-based recommendation. ACIP suggests that babies born to mothers who do not have hepatitis B should begin the hepatitis B vaccine series not before 2 months of age.

Secondly, ACIP voted to officially reduce the number of hepatitis B doses that a baby should receive. The vote suggests that only 1 dose of the hepatitis B vaccine is needed, which is a deviation from the standard 3-dose vaccine series needed for full protection against the virus. The vote also suggests that babies should blood draws to determine if additional doses of the vaccine are needed after completing the first dose. 

It is imperative to note that while ACIP’s vote removes the previous longstanding recommendation, all parents can continue to vaccinate their newborns at birth using the 3-dose series of the hepatitis B vaccine if they wish (no blood draw is needed). 

What does this mean for insurance?

Hepatitis B vaccines will continue to be covered for anyone who wants the vaccine under the Vaccine for Children’s Program, and through Medicaid. America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) have committed to maintaining coverage of all childhood vaccines, including the hepatitis B vaccine, throughout 2026 despite any changes ACIP has made. 

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is meeting on December 4th and 5th to deliberate on childhood vaccine recommendations, including the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation. 

The oral comment and written comment portals are now open to provide valuable insight on the need to maintain the universal hepatitis B birth dose – and we need you to add your voice.

How to Take Action:

Leave a written comment: 

• We have put together ​​templates​ that you can use to submit written comments. 
• Please note that all comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 24, 2025

Provide oral comment using our template:

• Register here to request a time slot.
• Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 24, 2025.  

After the September ACIP discussion on hepatitis B, it is clear that the Committee will likely remove the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation – a recommendation that has protected thousands of children from liver cancer for over 30 years.

Failure by the Committee to maintain universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination is a missed opportunity to protect the most vulnerable from a lifelong infection, and will be detrimental to the elimination of viral hepatitis inequities in the United States. 

Please remember that every voice counts. While we encourage you to use our templates, be sure to add your own voice to the final submission! For questions or more information, please reach out to Michaela.Jackson@hepb.org.

Hep B United are hosting a virtual mini-summit on October 29–30. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis B Family Potluck”. The Summit runs from 12:00 pm ET to 3:30 PM ET on both days. Our aim with this Summit is to bring together HBU partners, advocates, and community leaders to connect, and collaborate with one another and provide a space to exchange successes and challenges while celebrating the diversity and richness of the communities we serve. 

Registration has ended.

After the Sept. 18-19 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) discussion on the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and decision to table the vote, we remain extremely concerned about the intention of ACIP to revisit and alter this well-established universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation. Today’s decision avoids, at least temporarily, interruptions toward the elimination of hepatitis B in the U.S. We stand firmly in the knowledge that this recommendation should not be changed. 

The success of the hepatitis B vaccine is backed by 40 years of evidence. With 1 billion doses administered globally, and a reduction of 99% in acute infections in children 19 and younger in the U.S., the benefits of the vaccine are irrefutable. Weakening the birth dose recommendation would risk reversing decades of progress and undermines public confidence in a vaccine that prevents a leading cause of liver cancer. 

ACIP’s delay in reconsidering the birth dose vaccination provides our organizations and others the opportunity to educate key stakeholders on the importance of the birth dose to infants, their families, and public health. We call upon ACIP to reestablish the CDC’s hepatitis B workgroup for any future reviews of the scientific evidence regarding the hepatitis B vaccine, including the birth dose, and request full transparency as to the processes and frameworks used to evaluate potential alterations to recommendations. The Evidence-to-Recommendation (EtR) Framework is one of our best tools in providing unbiased, transparent data. ACIP workgroups should use EtR for every vaccine under consideration. To be clear: we do not agree with the need to revisit the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation. However, all studies used to justify any changes to vaccine recommendations should be held to the highest scientific standards possible. 

Rigorous scientific evidence must inform all vaccine recommendations. Anything less leads to confusion and causes opportunities for those most vulnerable to be missed. We thank our CDC colleagues for presenting the most rigorous data available, and the ACIP liaison members for calling for strong, evidence-based recommendations and a return to the standard EtR Framework that is expected of the ACIP. 

Signed Organizations: 

Hepatitis B Foundation 

American Academy of Pediatrics 

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

American Liver Foundation 

Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

Center for Disease Analysis Foundation

Global Liver Institute 

Immunize.org

NASTAD 

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable Treatment Access Group

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is hosting an incredibly significant meeting on September 18 and 19. During this meeting, they will discuss the potential removal of the longstanding hepatitis B birth dose vaccine recommendation. If this happens, it will be the first time in modern history that ACIP uses their platform to blatantly disregard decades worth of scientific evidence in favor of enacting political agendas. 

The oral comments and written comment portal are now open to provide valuable insight on the need to maintain the universal hepatitis B birth dose. 

We strongly encourage all partners to use our updated template and guide to create and submit comments. The Committee will be discussing several other vaccine recommendations, so it is very important that hepatitis B is well represented. 

Here’s how to take action: 

Leave a written comment: We have put together templates that you can use to submit written comments.

Please note that all comments must be submitted by 11:59 pm EDT on September 13, 2025.

Provide oral comment using our template:

Register here to request a time slot: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp. 

Registration closes at 11:59pm EDT on September 13, 2025.   

Post your support of the hepatitis B vaccine on social media.

Misinformation about the hepatitis B vaccine and its importance is at an all-time high. Use our social media toolkit to share the facts about the universal birth dose. 

 Tell Congress that eliminating the hepatitis B birth dose recommendation is unacceptable. 

The American Liver Foundation has created an action alert to share the importance of the birth dose with congress. Use their form to reach out to your congress member, and encourage them to support the birth dose. 

After the June ACIP discussion on hepatitis B and several media conversations with the ACIP Chair and Secretary Kennedy, it is highly likely that the Committee will remove the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation – a recommendation that has protected thousands of children from liver cancer for over 30 years. Failure by the Committee to maintain universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination is a missed opportunity to stem the tide of spikes in hepatitis B infections across the country and will be detrimental to the elimination of viral hepatitis inequities in the United States. 

Please remember that every very voice counts. For questions or more information, please reach out to Michaela.Jackson@hepb.org.

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. The bill included several items that the Hepatitis B Foundation advocated for, including protections for the National Perinatal Hepatitis B Surveillance Program and the Vaccines for Children Program, and federal efforts to aid and increase the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) universal adult hepatitis B screening and vaccination recommendations. The bill maintains FY25 funding levels at the CDC – including the Division of Viral Hepatitis – while increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $400 million and maintaining the agency’s structure. This bipartisan bill is a rare win for public health advocates and those combatting infectious disease across the country. It rejects the Administration’s recent requests to cut the CDC by nearly 50% and the NIH by 40% and rejects the Administration’s attempt to reduce the effectiveness of agencies like the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and several CDC infectious disease branches by moving them to a new agency named the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). While there is still a long road before the FY26 budget is passed – including contending with a House bill that will likely have lower funding levels – the Senate coming out in support of the CDC and NIH is an important first step and shows that there is bipartisan support in pushing back on the Administration’s attacks on public health.

The hepatitis B vaccine has been a global game-changer, saving millions of lives over the past four decades. Safe, effective and groundbreaking as the world’s first anti-cancer vaccine, it protects against hepatitis B, the leading cause of liver cancer.

Vaccines, including the hepatitis B vaccine, are held to the highest safety standards and remain one of the most effective tools in protecting public health. As we move forward, the Hepatitis B Foundation is committed to providing reliable, evidence-based information and advocating for universal access to this lifesaving vaccine.  To support these efforts, please use the following media toolkit as a reference to help spread awareness and educate your community about the importance of hepatitis B prevention. Together, we can protect future generations from this preventable virus.

The Congressional Hepatitis Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Hank Johnson, is introducing a resolution recognizing July 28, 2025 as World Hepatitis Day. World Hepatitis Day is commemorated each year by the World Health Organization (WHO) and by governments, organizations, and advocates in countries all over the world. 

This year, we encourage you all to join the Hepatitis B Foundation in being an endorsing organization to the resolution! Please use this link to sign your organization on to the resolution by COB on Thursday, July 24.You can view the resolution via the link as well.   Please reach out to michaela.jackson@hepb.org with any questions. We hope you will join us!