HEP EXPRESS
Viral hepatitis news from the Immunization Action Coalition
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Issue Number 28 April 15, 2005

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

1. FDA approves new treatment for hepatitis B virus infection
2. May is National Hepatitis Awareness Month
3. New: The CDC-INFO Contact Center now answers phone-in
immunization questions; VISs are changed accordingly
4. National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference abstracts
due May 27
5. NASTAD's April HIV Prevention Bulletin focuses on hepatitis
6. IAC updates multiple print pieces related to viral
hepatitis
7. Hepatitis B Foundation publishes Winter 2005 issue of
"B Informed"
8. FDA approves new HAV assay test
9. HBF's B-Informed Patient Conference to be held July 9-10
10. Recommendations for improving high-risk adults' influenza,
PPV, and hepatitis B vaccination coverage now available
11. New meeting information available on VHPB website
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ABBREVIATIONS: ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; DVH,
Division of Viral Hepatitis; HAV, hepatitis A virus; HBV,
hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; IAC, Immunization
Action Coalition; IDU, injection drug user; MMWR, Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report; MSM, men who have sex with men; STD,
sexually transmitted disease; VIS, Vaccine Information
Statement; WHO, World Health Organization.
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(1 of 11)
April 15, 2005
FDA APPROVES NEW TREATMENT FOR HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action
Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 04/04/05.]

On March 29, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company of Princeton, NJ,
issued a press release announcing that FDA approved the
company's drug Baraclude (entecavir) for the treatment of
chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults. The drug is
an oral antiviral therapy designed to block replication of HBV
in the body by interfering with the virus's ability to infect
cells. It will be available in the United States as early as
April 8.

To access prescribing information from the FDA website, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2005/021797,021798lbl.pdf
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(2 of 11)
April 15, 2005
MAY IS NATIONAL HEPATITIS AWARENESS MONTH

May has been designated National Hepatitis Awareness Month, a
time to educate the public, members of the media, elected
officials, and healthcare professionals about viral hepatitis.

Beginning in May, visit the Division of Viral Hepatitis website
at http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis to view information regarding
activities planned for this occasion.
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(3 of 11)
April 15, 2005
NEW: THE CDC-INFO CONTACT CENTER NOW ANSWERS PHONE-IN
IMMUNIZATION QUESTIONS; VISs ARE CHANGED ACCORDINGLY

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action
Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 03/21/05.]

Effective March 15, a new service, the CDC-INFO Contact Center,
began answering immunization questions placed by phone from the
public and health professionals. Previously, the National
Immunization Information Hotline answered phone-in immunization
questions.

The new contact center phone number is (800) 232-4636 (i.e.,
[800] CDC-INFO). Both English- and Spanish-speaking callers can
get information from the contact center; the first message
callers hear is the option to select English or Spanish.
For the next few months, calls placed to the old hotline number
will roll over to the new contact center number. NIP staff is
still answering email immunization questions sent to
nipinfo@...

PLEASE NOTE: The new contact center service is not dedicated to
immunization; it is an integrated CDC hotline service that
answers questions on many topics. Callers to the contact center
will pick among several options, one of which is immunization.

HOTLINE NUMBER CHANGES ON VISs
All VISs that contained the old hotline number have been changed
to show the new contact center number. The change was made to
VISs in the section titled "How Can I Learn More?" The VIS dates
have not changed; the only change is to the telephone number.
Because the new contact center service will handle calls made to
the old hotline number for a few months, there is no need to
discard stocks of VISs that have the old number.

To access English-language VISs updated with the new contact
center number, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/default.htm

To access updated VISs in English and 31 additional languages,
go to IAC's VIS web section at http://www.immunize.org/vis

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GRATITUDE FOR THE NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION HOTLINE
Operated since 1997 by the American Social Health Association of
Research Triangle Park, NC, the National Immunization
Information Hotline earned the respect and praise of Dr. William
L. Atkinson. In speaking about the hotline, Atkinson, a medical
epidemiologist with NIP, said the following:

"I have personally worked with the hotline supervisors and staff
almost continuously since the beginning. Together we have worked
through vaccine shortages, new vaccines, anthrax, smallpox,
thimerosal, hurricanes, snowstorms, blackouts, and many other
immunization crises. The hotline supervisors and staff, past and
present, always rose to the challenges we faced. They have been
a trusted source of immunization information for both the public
and providers. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work
with such a fine group of people. I know I speak for all of us
at the National Immunization Program when I thank the National
Immunization Information Hotline and the American Social Health
Association for their service to this country. We wish them
success in their post-hotline endeavors."

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(4 of 11)
April 15, 2005
NATIONAL VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS DUE
MAY 27

Abstracts are being solicited for presentation at the National
Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference, which will be held
December 5-9, 2005, in Washington, D.C.

The theme for the conference is "Viral Hepatitis Prevention at
All Stages of Life." Presentations will be organized into the
following six tracks:

(1) Perinatal and infant hepatitis B prevention
(2) Viral hepatitis prevention for children
(3) Viral hepatitis prevention for adolescents/high-risk
youth
(4) Viral hepatitis prevention for adults; delivering,
implementing, and evaluating prevention and control
strategies and services
(5) Education, training, and outreach for viral hepatitis
prevention and control
(6) Other/cross cutting: hepatitis prevention and control

Abstract submission deadline is Friday, May 27, 2005, midnight
Pacific Time.

For more information, visit the conference website at
http://www.nvhpc.com
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(5 of 11)
April 15, 2005
NASTAD'S APRIL "HIV PREVENTION BULLETIN" FOCUSES ON HEPATITIS

The April 2005 issue of the "HIV Prevention Bulletin" published
by NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS
Directors) focuses on integrating viral hepatitis prevention
services into HIV/AIDS programs.

The introduction states: "Over the past several years, hepatitis
A, B, and C have received growing attention, as health
department HIV/AIDS programs and HIV prevention and care
community-based organizations (CBOs) learn that their clients
also are at risk of or infected with viral hepatitis. Current
estimates suggest that at least 4 million Americans have ever
been infected with hepatitis C, 2.7 million are chronically
infected, and at least 25% of persons living with HIV/AIDS are
co-infected with the disease. Further, hepatitis C related
complications are now emerging as the leading cause of death
among persons living with HIV/AIDS. Periodic outbreaks of
hepatitis A and B virus infections have also served as a
reminder that men who have sex with men (MSM), drug users,
persons with multiple sex partners, and persons with a history
of STDs are at risk of infection from these vaccine-preventable
diseases. . . Despite the limitations of federal resources,
health departments, national organizations, and CBOs are working
together to address viral hepatitis in their communities."

The issue highlights five programs demonstrating "collaboration
in action," and provides information on advocacy, treatment,
resources, conferences, and more.

To read the April "HIV Prevention Bulletin," go to:
http://www.nastad.org/%5Cdocuments%5Cpublic%5Cpub_prevention%5C200541APRL2005HVB\
ULLETN.pdf

The "HIV Prevention Bulletin" is free and often includes
information about viral hepatitis in groups at risk. To receive
this electronic publication, please send an email to:
nastad@...

Please provide your name, position, agency, address, email
address, and phone number.
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(6 of 11)
April 15, 2005
IAC UPDATES MULTIPLE PRINT PIECES RELATED TO VIRAL HEPATITIS

IAC recently updated several of its print pieces, primarily to
take into account the recently licensed treatment option,
entecavir. Following is a list of pieces updated in April 2005.

(1) "Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences"

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4075abc.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4075abc.htm

(2) "If you have chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection... "

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4120eng.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4120.htm

(3) "Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection in Adults" by
Brian McMahon, MD

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2161.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2161.htm

(4) "What the Physician Can Do to Help the Child with Chronic
Hepatitis B Virus Infection" by Sarah Jane Schwarzenberg, MD

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2170sjs.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2170.htm

(5) "You are not alone! Information for young adults who are
chronically infected with hepatitis B virus" by Sarah Jane
Schwarzenberg, MD, and Karen Wainwright, RN, BS, CCRA

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4118.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4118.htm

(6) "Brief Introduction to Hepatitis B for Parents of Adopted
Children" by Sarah Jane Schwarzenberg, MD

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4150intr.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4150intr.htm

(7) "Does your patient have chronic hepatitis B?" by Coleman
Smith, MD

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2162.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n18/p2162.htm

In addition, five recently revised viral hepatitis pieces were
re-translated into Turkish, thanks to Drs. Mustafa Kozanoglu
and Murat Serbest of Adana, Turkey.

"Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences"
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4075tu.pdf

"Protect yourself against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. . .
a guide for gay and bisexual men"
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4115tu.pdf

"If you have chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection. . ."
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4120tu.pdf

"Should you be vaccinated against hepatitis A?"
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2190tu.pdf

"Should you be vaccinated against hepatitis B?"
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2191tu.pdf
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(7 of 11)
April 15, 2005
HEPATITIS B FOUNDATION PUBLISHES WINTER 2005 ISSUE OF
"B INFORMED"

The Winter 2005 issue of "B Informed," the newsletter of the
Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) is now available online. This issue
includes articles on HBF's new research institute and a thought-
provoking article about the state of HBV research funding.

The current issue of "B Informed" can be accessed at
http://www.hepb.org/pdf/hepbnews42.pdf

To receive "B Informed" through the U.S. mail, please send your
name and full address to info@... and HBF will add your
name to their confidential mailing list.

The HBF website offers many other resources, including the
continually updated "HBF Drug Watch." To access the home page go
to: http://www.hepb.org
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(8 of 11)
April 15, 2005
FDA APPROVES NEW HAV ASSAY TEST

On March 7, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved Bayer HealthCare Diagnostics' ADVIA Centaur® HAV Total
Assay, an in vitro diagnostic immunoassay for the qualitative
determination of total antibodies to the hepatitis A virus in
human serum or plasma. The assay can be used by laboratories to
aid in the diagnosis of previous or ongoing HAV infection or in
the identification of HAV-susceptible individuals for
vaccination.

To access the New Device Approval information from the FDA
website, go to: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p040017.html
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(9 of 11)
April 15, 2005
HBF'S B-INFORMED PATIENT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD JULY 9-10

The Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) will be sponsoring the fifth
B-Informed Patient Conference on July 9-10, 2005. The conference
will be held at Delaware Valley College, Doylestown,
Pennsylvania.

For more information, go to http://www.hepb.org, call
(215) 489-4900, or email info@...
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(10 of 11)
April 15, 2005
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING HIGH-RISK ADULTS' INFLUENZA, PPV,
AND HEPATITIS B VACCINATION COVERAGE NOW AVAILABLE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action
Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 04/04/05.]

On April 1, CDC issued "Improving Influenza, Pneumococcal
Polysaccharide, and Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage Among
Adults Aged <65 Years at High Risk: A Report on Recommendations
of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services," as a
Recommendation and Reports issue of MMWR. The summary is
reprinted below.

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The Task Force on Community Preventive Services conducted
systematic reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of
interventions to improve targeted vaccination coverage (i.e.,
coverage with vaccines recommended for some but not all persons
in an age range on the basis of risk for exposure or disease)
among adults aged <65 years at high risk when implemented alone
(single-component interventions) and in combination with other
interventions (multicomponent interventions). A 1999 report by
the Task Force examined the effectiveness of interventions to
increase coverage with universally recommended vaccinations
(i.e., vaccines recommended for all persons in particular age
groups). Three targeted vaccinations recommended for populations
at risk are addressed in this review: influenza, pneumococcal
polysaccharide, and hepatitis B. The Task Force identified
evidence that certain combinations of interventions have
improved vaccination coverage. To increase targeted vaccination
coverage, the Task Force recommends a combination of
interventions that include selected interventions from two or
three categories of interventions (i.e., increasing community
demand for vaccinations, enhancing access to vaccination
services, and provider- or system-based interventions). The Task
Force also recommends provider reminders, when implemented
alone, to improve targeted vaccination coverage. This report
provides additional information about population-based
interventions to improve the coverage of influenza, pneumococcal
polysaccharide, and hepatitis B vaccines among populations at
risk, briefly describes how the reviews were conducted, and
provides information that can help in applying the interventions
locally.

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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the recommendation, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5405a1.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the recommendation,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5405.pdf

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
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(11 of 11)
April 15, 2005
NEW MEETING INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON VHPB WEBSITE

The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) website has been
updated to include information from the March meeting held in
Rome: "Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Other Blood-Borne
Infections in Healthcare Workers."

Topics covered during the meeting included global epidemiology
of blood-borne infections in healthcare workers, transmission of
HBV and HCV as an occupational risk, primary and secondary
prevention measures against HBV and HCV infections in healthcare
workers, and recommendations for HBV-, HCV-, or HIV-infected
healthcare workers or (para)medical students.

To access the meeting program and most of the presentations, go
to: http://www.vhpb.org

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We hope you will forward this e-newsletter to others.

Managing editor: Teresa A. Anderson, DDS, MPH
Copy editor: Dale Thompson
Editorial assistant: Janelle Tangonan Anderson
ISSN: 1547-6375

To subscribe or change your HEP EXPRESS email address, or to view
past issues, please visit http://www.hepprograms.org/hepexpress

This publication is supported by Grant No. U50/CCU523259 from
the Division of Viral Hepatitis at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of IAC
and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.
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DISCLAIMER: http://www.immunize.org/admin/discl-ex.htm

PLEASE CONTACT US AT:
Immunization Action Coalition
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