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The recommendations call for all adults ages 18 and older to be tested for hepatitis B.

New guidance released on March 9th by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that recommend testing of all adults ages 18 and older will save lives, ultimately, says Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH.

The CDC will publish its Universal Adult Hepatitis B Screening Recommendations in the March 10 edition of its influential Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). A preview was posted on March 9 on the CDC website which can be found here.

“The Hepatitis B Foundation is grateful for the advocacy work on this issue by our Hep B United Coalition partners, the many individual advocates nationwide who have been engaged on this issue and the Congressional Hepatitis Caucus, which has been very supportive over the years of hepatitis B initiatives and decreasing HBV-related disparities,” Dr. Cohen said.

For years, the Hepatitis B Foundation has advocated that universal screening is essential to successfully addressing hepatitis B in the U.S. Our team will continue advocacy efforts to encourage the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to align with CDC’s final recommendation.

The Hepatitis B Foundation is developing a comprehensive communications program, including a detailed white paper and a social media tool kit, to help ensure that physicians, other health care providers and public health profession nationwide learn about the new recommendations.

Previous guidelines in the U.S. were based on a person’s risk factors, which was stigmatizing, inefficient and burdensome to providers and patients. It’s important to note that about two-thirds of Americans with hepatitis B have no identified risk factors for the disease, so previous recommendations were missing a large portion of those infected.

The new recommendation calls for all adults to be screening using the hepatitis B triple panel (hepatitis B surface antigen, hep B surface antibody and hep B core antibody). The triple panel is preferred because it provides a comprehensive view of a person’s hepatitis B status and alerts the provider as to the necessary next steps, including vaccination for susceptible individuals or linkage to care for those infected.

A webinar for providers, through the Hep B United coalition, was scheduled for March 27 at 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar addressed what the recommendations will mean for providers and how implementation of universal screening and vaccination will look. The speakers included CDC representatives and Dr. Robert Gish, medical director of the Hepatitis B Foundation. Watch the video recording of the webinar here.

In the U.S., up to 2.4 million people are chronically infected, yet only 25% of those individuals know they are infected. Without diagnosis and appropriate care and treatment, people with chronic hepatitis B are at significantly increased risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Hepatitis B cases in the U.S. have been rising in recent years – up 11% between 2014 and 2018 – largely due to the opioid epidemic. The disease is one of the primary causes of liver cancer, the fastest-growing cancer in the U.S., and a leading cause of cirrhosis. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African Immigrants continue to be disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B and liver cancer. From 2003-2017, it was the second most common cause of cancer deaths in Asian American and Pacific Islander males. Asians and Black Americans living with HBV have an 11-fold risk of developing primary liver cancer in comparison to white Americans.

The U.S. is on the path to eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. Combined with universal vaccination for all adults 19-59, the new screening guidelines are a significant step towards reducing health disparities, reducing new hepatitis B infections, and working towards elimination.

About hepatitis B: The world’s most common serious liver infection, chronic hepatitis B is caused by a virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver disease such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Please join the Hep B United Coalition on December 10, 2019 at 2:00 PM EST for a webinar to discuss access to hepatitis B treatments.

The 2020 Open Enrollment Period is here! As individuals, organizations, and patient navigators search for the best health insurance plans, join this session to learn about discriminatory practices by some health plans that may impact persons living with hepatitis B, including “adverse drug tiering” and the use of “co-pay accumulators.”

Panelists will discuss research findings of hepatitis B treatments offered by health plans, resources for prescription assistance, and provide an overview of and opportunities to get involved in federal and state legislative advocacy efforts to combat discriminatory practices by health insurers.

Register here.

Speakers:
Michaela Jackson, Public Health and Outreach Program Coordinator, Hepatitis B Foundation

Rachel Klein, Health Policy Manager, The AIDS Institute

The Hepatitis B Foundation is calling for increased resources to improve hepatitis B vaccination rates and educate high-risk communities, in response to newly-released viral hepatitis surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC released the 2017 surveillance data on September 10, showing an estimated 22,000 new acute hepatitis B cases, an increase over the previous year. Thirty-two states saw increases in reported acute hepatitis B, continuing an upward trend over the past several years, with the highest rates among non-Hispanic White adults age 40-49. These increases are likely driven by the opioid crisis as well as low vaccination rates among adults.

CDC also reported that in 2017, there was a slight increase in overall mortality related to hepatitis B. Alarmingly, mortality rates increased for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), who shoulder a disproportionate burden of chronic hepatitis B infection. The 2017 death rate for AAPIs was over 5 times higher compared to other groups. Non-Hispanic Blacks also had increased mortality related to hepatitis B, possibly due to high rates of chronic hepatitis B in African immigrant communities.

Currently, only 25% of adults are protected from hepatitis B. Resources are needed to increase adult hepatitis B vaccination in the U.S., to prevent new cases of this serious liver infection.

“The newly released data confirm that while we have made strides in preventing hepatitis B, the trend of increasing acute hepatitis B cases in the U.S. continues. It is critical that we address hepatitis B as a serious consequence of the opioid crisis, by increasing activities and resources to improve vaccination, and ensuring that providers and public health professionals working in high-risk communities include hepatitis B education, testing and vaccination as part of their programming,” said Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Senior Vice President at the Hepatitis B Foundation.

“As we work towards hepatitis B elimination in the U.S., we must not forget the communities impacted the most by chronic hepatitis B infection,” said Kate Moraras, MPH, Senior Program Director, Hepatitis B Foundation. “It is disheartening to see continued disparities and increased deaths due to hepatitis B among AAPIs and African communities. We must improve hepatitis B testing and care for those chronically infected. Only through diagnosis, management and treatment can we save lives.”

 

Hep B United and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) are excited to present a 3-part webinar series on local strategies to eliminate hepatitis B. Join us for updates on the current state of hepatitis B (HBV) in the U.S. and to discuss local health department efforts and model programs to increase hepatitis B testing, vaccination, and linkage to care.

Recent data indicate that there has been an increase in the rate of new hepatitis B infections in the U.S., which many largely attribute to increasing injection drug use. To address this, Hep B United and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) are excited to present a three-part webinar series on local strategies to eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.

HBV is a significant and common health burden that chronically infects up to 2.2 million people in the U.S. and approximately 257 million people globally. Up to 25% of chronically infected individuals go on to develop serious conditions such as liver damage, cirrhosis, or liver cancer, and many die as a result of complications from liver disease. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine and treatments, barriers in HBV prevention persist. Join us to discuss the current state of HBV in the U.S. and learn about local health department efforts and model programs to increase HBV testing, vaccination, and linkage to care.

Register now for Part 3!