(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
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(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
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(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@nastad.org
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(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.
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(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
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(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@hepprograms.org
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(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