Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          Enter the terms you wish to search for.
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              Blog
                              Tools to Help Us Work Together to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis in th
 Navigate to:
  Categories
    Coronavirus (12)
        Health IT (11)
        Fraud (1)
        Grants and Contracts (1)
        Research (5)
        Prevention and Wellness (19)
        Health Data (6)
        Holidays and Observances (13)
        Global Health (4)
        Public Health and Safety (21)
        HIPAA (2)
        Programs for Families and Children (5)
        Americans with Disabilities Act (1)
        Mental Health and Substance Abuse (1)
        Vaccines (1)
        HHS Administrative (4)
        LGBT (1)
        Emergency Preparedness and Response (1)Text resize icon

                    




Tools to Help Us Work Together to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis in the U.S.








  
  
    

  
      **May 18, 2023**
                |
        By:  Rachel        Levine  M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)

  
**Summary:**
  





This Hepatitis Awareness Month, we must work together to eliminate viral hepatitis in the U.S.


      May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, when we focus on raising awareness of viral hepatitis while encouraging testing and vaccination. Hepatitis Awareness Month activities help to improve everyone’s understanding of viral hepatitis transmission and risk factors and to decrease social stigma against viral hepatitis.

While we have the tools and a clear roadmap to stop the spread of viral hepatitis, we still need to focus on raising awareness of the disease, how people get it, how we can prevent it, and how we can reduce social stigma. Our success depends on active participation in a strategic and coordinated response to use the tools we have to prevent, and eventually eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the United States.

Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B are preventable with safe and effective vaccines, and hepatitis C is curable with prescribed treatment. Currently, there is an estimated 862,000 and 2.4 million people living with hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the United States, respectively. Yet approximately two-thirds of persons living with hepatitis B and almost half of persons living with hepatitis C, do not know they have the virus. To increase the number of people that are aware of their status, the CDC now recommends hepatitis B screening and testing for all adults aged 18 years and older at least once in their lifetime. CDC continues to recommend hepatitis C screening for all adults aged 18 years and older at least once in their lifetime.

The hepatitis B vaccine is still the best tool we have at preventing the short and long-term effects of hepatitis B virus, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and early death. Currently, only an estimated 30% of adults in the United States are vaccinated against hepatitis B. To increase hepatitis B vaccination coverage, the CDC now recommends hepatitis B vaccination for all adults ages 19-59 as well as adults aged 60 years and older with or without known risks factors for hepatitis B.

As the Assistant Secretary for Health, ensuring equitable approaches to increasing access to viral hepatitis testing, vaccination, and treatment, particularly for populations at higher risk of infection, is a priority for me. Eliminating barriers that increases access to get more people screened for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as well as vaccinated for hepatitis B.

This May, during Hepatitis Awareness Month, I encourage you, to share information and implement the newly updated screening, testing, and vaccination recommendations for hepatitis B and hepatitis C to increase access to life-saving treatments.

Here is how you can get involved:

Throughout the month of May, help spread the word about viral hepatitis to your networks, using CDC’s Hepatitis Awareness Month social media toolkit.**May 19th is Hepatitis Testing Day,** a day dedicated to raising awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C, while encouraging everyone to learn their status.****I urge healthcare providers to incorporate screening and vaccination for hepatitis B and screening for hepatitis C into all clinical settings, including harm reduction, behavioral health, pharmacies, and HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) treatment facilities.**May 30th, at 1:00 pm-2:30 pm EST**, join me and experts across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a webinar to learn more about the Federal Implementation of Updated Viral Hepatitis Screening and Vaccination Recommendations. This webinar will bring together federal representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).Read the ***Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the U.S.: A Roadmap to Elimination 2021-2025***to learn about the vision we set forward to reverse the rates of viral hepatitis, prevent new infections, improve care and treatment and ultimately eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the United States. You can also read  the ***Viral Hepatitis Federal Implementation Plan*********to learn about the policies, research, and activities that my federal colleagues intend to put into practice to meet the goals of the national plan.

We all must work together to put these new recommendations into action to help prevent new viral hepatitis infections, which combined with increased testing, vaccination, and treatment, will move us closer towards eliminating viral hepatitis in the United States.
  Posted In:
  Global HealthSign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Sign Up







  Subscribe to RSS
    

      Receive latest updates

                    
  


Related Blog Posts
    

      Giving Blood Saves Lives
  

U.S. Summary of the 75th World Health Assembly
  

After 40 Years of Progress, It Is Time to End the HIV Epidemic Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​