HEP EXPRESS
Viral hepatitis news from the Immunization Action Coalition
===========================================================
Issue Number 32 July 15, 2005

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

1. CDC releases guidance statement on HIPAA and perinatal
hepatitis B
2. Learn more about proposed hepatitis B vaccination strategies
for U.S. adults
3. National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
launches listserv related to viral hepatitis
4. Hillsborough County, Florida, shares perinatal hepatitis B
prevention resources
5. Conference on methamphetamine, HIV, and hepatitis scheduled
for August 19-20
6. IAC adds five programs to its hepatitis prevention programs
website
7. VHPB updates its website with new meeting report
---------------------------------------------------------------

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.
----------------------------------------------------------------

(1 of 7)
July 15, 2005
CDC RELEASES GUIDANCE STATEMENT ON HIPAA AND PERINATAL
HEPATITIS B

The CDC Office of General Counsel has released the second in a
series of guidance statements regarding the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. "HIPAA
and Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention" was developed to answer
common questions about the intent and implementation of the rule
as it relates to accessing patient records for immunization
assessment and surveillance.

To read "HIPAA and Perinatal Hepatitis B" and the first guidance
statement, "HIPAA Privacy Rule and Public Health," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/birthdose/hepb_hipaa.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------

(2 of 7)
July 15, 2005
LEARN MORE ABOUT PROPOSED HEPATITIS B VACCINATION STRATEGIES FOR
U.S. ADULTS

Two new web pages offer information related to proposed strategies
for adult hepatitis B vaccination in the United States.

First, CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has posted notes
online from an adult hepatitis B vaccination consultation meeting
held in May 2005. DVH convened the meeting to discuss the
implementation of proposed Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) strategies for adult hepatitis B vaccination.

Continuing low rates of hepatitis B vaccination among adults are
attributed mainly to challenges in implementation. To address
these challenges and accelerate elimination of HBV transmission
in the United States, the ACIP drafted an updated statement on
hepatitis B vaccination that includes new strategies for
implementation of adult vaccination. This consultation was
convened to consider the feasibility of these strategies and to
address barriers, challenges, and opportunities. Lessons learned
from the experiences of the invited participants and their
comments on the proposed strategies will inform the final
version of the ACIP statement on adult hepatitis B vaccination,
which will be presented for a vote at the October 2005 ACIP
meeting.

The meeting summary, highlights, PowerPoint presentations, and
participant information can be viewed at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/partners/consultants_mtg_2005.htm

Second, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) has
started a web page to advocate for a universal, age-based
hepatitis B immunization recommendation. NVHR states, "We
believe that vaccinating adults is a necessary and important
step to eliminating hepatitis B in the United States, and that a
recommendation which endorses age-based, rather than risk-based
immunization, is the most effective way to achieve this goal."

Anyone interested in learning more about this issue is
encouraged to visit NVHR's website where letters to ACIP from
several organizations and individuals are posted. Go to:
http://www.nvhr.org/acip_letters/acip.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------

(3 of 7)
July 15, 2005
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF STATE AND TERRITORIAL AIDS DIRECTORS
LAUNCHES LISTSERV RELATED TO VIRAL HEPATITIS

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
(NASTAD) is managing a new listserv dedicated to increasing
awareness and building grassroots advocacy for viral hepatitis
initiatives at the national level. The listserv is open to
health departments, hepatitis and HIV organizations, and
individuals. The listserv will be used to alert interested
individuals when to contact Members of Congress or federal
agencies to weigh in on funding, legislation, or regulations
related to viral hepatitis. NASTAD will also provide regular
updates via the listserv about legislative and policy issues
that impact viral hepatitis programs.

The list is not open to the general public. Persons can join
only by sending an email to rsullivan@...
---------------------------------------------------------------

(4 of 7)
July 15, 2005
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, SHARES PERINATAL HEPATITIS B
PREVENTION RESOURCES

The Hillsborough County Health Department (HCHD) Perinatal
Hepatitis B Prevention Program was established in 2001, to
follow up on babies born to HBsAg-positive women in the county.
In 2004, staff began to promote the program through increased
education and outreach services, including a hepatitis B
information phone line, posters, educational programs for the
community and healthcare professionals, bus ads, and public
service announcements (PSAs).

HCHD has generously provided IAC with electronic copies of these
resources to share with others. To read more about the program
and/or to view the flyers, bus stop bench ad, bus ad, clinic
poster, and three PSAs, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/birthdose/hillsborough.htm

The PSAs can also be accessed from the hepatitis section of
IAC's video index page at
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/hepb.asp One clip
features a variety of languages, one is in English with Spanish
subtitles, and one is in Vietnamese with English subtitles.
--------------------------------------------------------------

(5 of 7)
July 15, 2005
CONFERENCE ON METHAMPHETAMINE, HIV, AND HEPATITIS SCHEDULED FOR
AUGUST 19-20

The Harm Reduction Project has scheduled "Science and Response
2005: 1st National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and
Hepatitis" for August 19–20, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The
conference has been designed to provide an arena in which
scientists, healthcare providers, and social science
professionals can gather to discuss the intersection between
methamphetamine use, HIV, and hepatitis.

For more information on the conference, go to:
http://harmredux.org/conference2005.html
----------------------------------------------------------------

(6 of 7)
July 15, 2005
IAC ADDS FIVE PROGRAMS TO ITS HEPATITIS PREVENTION PROGRAMS
WEBSITE

IAC launched www.hepprograms.org in March 2001 as a way to
highlight programs successfully preventing hepatitis A, B,
and/or C in adults and adolescents at risk of infection. The
website currently includes 97 programs in 10 risk categories.

Five new projects have been added to the programs section:

Northern Nevada Immunization Coalition
Category: School-based programs for adolescents
http://www.hepprograms.org/school/school9.asp

3 for Life (San Francisco, CA)
Category: Programs for Asian Pacific Islander Americans
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia10.asp

Maricopa County Hepatitis Education Project (Arizona)
Category: Adult corrections facilities
http://www.hepprograms.org/adult/adult13.asp

Hep Team Chicago
Category: Programs for men who have sex with men
http://www.hepprograms.org/msm/msm19.asp

HepTalk Project (27 sites in 17 states)
Category: "Other" (clinics serving migrants and recent
immigrants)
http://www.hepprograms.org/other/other8.asp

If you have a program to share, please tell us about it by going
to: http://www.hepprograms.org/tellus.htm

If you know of additional HBV or HCV support groups, or have
viral hepatitis resources to share (including brochures,
manuals, slide sets, photos, or videos), write to:
admin@...
----------------------------------------------------------------

(7 of 7)
July 15, 2005
VHPB UPDATES ITS WEBSITE WITH NEW MEETING REPORT

The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) website has been
updated to include information from the May meeting held in
Kiev, Ukraine: "Strengthening Immunisation Systems and
Introduction of Hepatitis B Vaccine in Central and Eastern
Europe and the Newly Independent States."

The meeting was organized by CDC, Children's Vaccine Program at
PATH, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI),
UNICEF, the VHPB, and WHO.

To access the 55-page report in PDF format, go to:
http://www.vhpb.org

===================================================================
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.
Circulation: 2,459

DISCLAIMER: http://www.immunize.org/iacadmin/discl-ex.htm

PLEASE CONTACT US AT:
Immunization Action Coalition
1573 Selby Avenue, Suite 234
St. Paul, MN 55104
Voice: (651) 647-9009
Fax: (651) 647-9131
Email: hepxadmin@...
(mailto:hepxadmin@...)
Web: http://www.immunize.org
http://www.vaccineinformation.org
http://www.hepprograms.org
http://www.izcoalitions.org
===================================================================