[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 338

Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2023, as ``National 
             Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2023

 Mr. Johnson of Georgia (for himself, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Bacon, 
 Ms. Crockett, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mrs. 
   Watson Coleman, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Smith of 
  Washington, Ms. Lee of California, Mrs. Trahan, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. 
Cohen, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms. Meng) submitted the following resolution; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2023, as ``National 
             Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day''.

Whereas up to 2.4 million individuals in the United States are chronically 
        infected with hepatitis B, and up to two-thirds of individuals with 
        chronic hepatitis B are unaware of their infection status;
Whereas hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver transmitted via infected 
        blood and other body fluids, including through mother-to-child 
        transmission and injection drug use;
Whereas hepatitis B is associated with significant disparities among communities 
        of color (including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African 
        immigrants), sexual and gender minority communities, and those affected 
        by the opioid crisis;
Whereas individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C, 
        and chronic liver disease, and individuals on hemodialysis are at an 
        increased risk for hepatitis B co-infection;
Whereas there is no cure for hepatitis B and individuals with chronic hepatitis 
        B require lifelong medical care;
Whereas chronic hepatitis B represents one of the most common causes of liver 
        cancer;
Whereas 1 in every 4 individuals with unmanaged chronic hepatitis B will develop 
        liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure, with liver cancer having a 5-
        year-survival rate of only 18 percent in the United States;
Whereas safe and highly effective vaccines to protect against hepatitis B are 
        available;
Whereas in accordance with universal childhood hepatitis B vaccination 
        recommendations in the United States, infants and children have been 
        routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B since the 1990s;
Whereas all adults aged 19 to 59, and adults 60 and older with hepatitis B risk 
        factors, are recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B;
Whereas the hepatitis B vaccine, which is 95 percent effective and was the first 
        anticancer vaccine to be developed, is projected to have prevented 310 
        million cases of hepatitis B worldwide from 1990 to 2020;
Whereas only 30 percent of adults in the United States are vaccinated against 
        hepatitis B;
Whereas the number of reported acute hepatitis B cases increased by 11 percent 
        nationwide between 2014 and 2018;
Whereas, as a result of the drug use epidemic, there have been significant 
        regional increases in acute hepatitis B cases in the United States, 
        including--

    (1) a 489 percent increase in acute hepatitis B infections from 2015 to 
2016 in Maine;

    (2) a reported 114 percent increase from 2009 to 2013 in Kentucky, West 
Virginia, and Tennessee;

    (3) a reported 78 percent increase in 2017 in southeastern 
Massachusetts; and

    (4) a reported 56 percent increase from 2014 to 2016 in North Carolina;

Whereas 36 percent of new hepatitis B cases are among people who inject drugs;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis 
        B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV and 5 to 10 times more 
        infectious than hepatitis C; and
Whereas there are significant opportunities, particularly within the setting of 
        the drug use epidemic, to prevent new hepatitis B infections and thereby 
        reduce the incidence of liver cancer and cirrhosis through efforts to--

    (1) increase adult hepatitis B vaccination; and

    (2) maintain childhood hepatitis B vaccination: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Adult Hepatitis 
        B Vaccination Awareness Day'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of providing support and 
        encouragement--
                    (A) for all adults aged 18 and older to be tested 
                for hepatitis B at least once in their lifetime in 
                accordance with recommendations;
                    (B) for individuals susceptible to infection to be 
                vaccinated against hepatitis B; and
                    (C) for individuals diagnosed with hepatitis B to 
                be linked to appropriate care; and
            (3) in order to reduce the number of new hepatitis B 
        infections and hepatitis B-related deaths, encourages a 
        commitment to--
                    (A) increasing adult hepatitis B vaccination rates;
                    (B) maintaining childhood hepatitis B vaccination 
                rates; and
                    (C) promoting provider and community awareness of 
                adult hepatitis B vaccination.
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