[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 23519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08960]



[[Page 23519]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2019-0094]


CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults--
United States, 2020

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces 
the availability of the final CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C 
Screening Among Adults--United States, 2020.

DATES: The final document was published as an MMWR Reports & 
Recommendations on April 10, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The document may be found in the docket at 
www.regulations.gov, Docket No. CDC-2019-0084 and at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/rr/rr6902a1.htm?s_cid=rr6902a1_w.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: CDR Sarah Schillie, MD, MPH, MBA, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., NE U12-3, 
Atlanta, GA 30329. Telephone: (404) 639-8000; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2019, CDC determined that CDC 
Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults--United States, 
2020 constituted influential scientific information (ISI) that will 
have a clear and substantial impact on important public policies and 
private sector decisions. Under the Information Quality Act, Public Law 
106-554, agencies are required to conduct peer review of the 
information by specialists in the field who were not involved in the 
development of these recommendations. CDC solicited nominations for 
reviewers from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 
(AASLD), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American 
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Six clinicians with 
expertise in hepatology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, 
infectious diseases and/or obstetrics and gynecology provided 
structured peer reviews. Peer reviewers were supportive of the 
recommendations and raised comments about the benefit of screening 
pregnant women and inclusion of a prevalence threshold. Feedback 
obtained during the peer review process was carefully reviewed and 
considered by CDC. Ultimately no changes to the recommendation 
statement were made; however, additional references and justification 
for the recommendation to screen during every pregnancy and maintaining 
the prevalence threshold were added to the document. A summary of the 
peer review comments, CDC's response, and changes made to the document 
in response to the comments can be found in the Supporting Materials 
tab of the docket and at https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/policy/isireview/PeerReviewCR.htm.
    In addition, on October 28, 2019, CDC published a notice in the 
Federal Register (84 FR 57733) announcing the opening of a docket to 
obtain public comment on the draft recommendations for hepatitis C 
screening among adults. The comment period closed December 27, 2019. 
CDC received response from 69 commenters on the draft recommendations 
document. Public commenters included those from academia, professional 
organizations, industry, and the public.
    Many of the comments from the public were in support of the 
recommendations. For those comments that proposed changes, the majority 
related to removing the recommendation to screen for hepatitis C in 
every pregnancy or removing the prevalence threshold for universal 
screening. Feedback obtained during both the peer review process and 
the public comment period was carefully reviewed and considered by CDC. 
Ultimately no changes to the recommendation statement were made; 
however, additional references and justification for the recommendation 
to screen during every pregnancy and maintaining the prevalence 
threshold were added to the document. A summary of public comments and 
CDC's response is found in the Supporting Materials tab of the docket.

    Dated: April 23, 2020.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-08960 Filed 4-27-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P