{"id":7762,"date":"2023-01-24T08:24:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T13:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/?post_type=lsvr_notice&#038;p=7762"},"modified":"2025-01-16T09:54:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T14:54:35","slug":"notes-from-the-immunization-programcurrent-recommendations-for-hepatitis-b-vaccination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/notes-from-the-immunization-programcurrent-recommendations-for-hepatitis-b-vaccination\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Recommendations for Hepatitis B Vaccination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notes From the Immunization Program:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current Recommendations for Hepatitis B Vaccination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has modified its recommendations for hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination. The ACIP <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/71\/wr\/mm7113a1.htm\" target=\"_blank\">now recommends<\/a> that all adults aged 19-59 years and adults aged 60 and older with risk factors receive hepatitis B vaccines.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ensure these groups are up to date on hepatitis B vaccination:&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Infants&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children aged &lt;19 &nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adults aged 19-59&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adults aged 60 and older with risk factors for hepatitis B &nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Risk factors include sexual exposures, people at risk by percutaneous or mucosal exposure, and others. A complete list can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hepatitis\/hbv\/hbvfaq.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Adults aged 60 and older without known risk factors may also be vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why hepatitis B and why now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, the United States <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hepatitis\/statistics\/2019surveillance\/Introduction.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">saw a rise<\/a> in acute hepatitis B cases. Opioid use, which remains a growing public health concern in Philadelphia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafp.org\/pubs\/afp\/issues\/2022\/0800\/graham-center-hepatitis-b-vaccination.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has contributed<\/a> to this increase in cases nationally. &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>To counter the rising incidence of acute hepatitis B in the U.S., ACIP expanded its recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination in November 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafp.org\/pubs\/afp\/issues\/2022\/0800\/graham-center-hepatitis-b-vaccination.html#afp20220800p132-b6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national survey<\/a> conducted in February 2022 revealed that 55% of family physicians were unaware of the updated hepatitis B vaccine recommendations, and only 8% had fully implemented the new recommendations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Philadelphia, we have seen a small rise in the numbers of adults receiving hepatitis B vaccination following the new recommendations. However, the urge to vaccinate Philadelphians remains high. Pennsylvania has the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hepatitis\/statistics\/2020surveillance\/hepatitis-b\/table-2.5.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fourth highest<\/a> number of newly reported chronic HBV cases in the nation and Philadelphia <a href=\"https:\/\/nurseledcare.phmc.org\/images\/pdf\/hepatitis\/HBV_in_Philly__HBF_PDPH_Oct_10_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accounts for most<\/a> of these cases. <a href=\"https:\/\/ppponline.org\/node\/152\/syringe-services-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Syringe exchange programs<\/a> help decrease risky injection among drug users in Philadelphia, yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0091743520300943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">obstacles to safe injection<\/a> persist.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthcare professionals can continue to decrease morbidity by promoting hepatitis B vaccination. A vaccine recommendation from patients\u2019 provider is the strongest predictor of whether patients get vaccinated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategies for increasing hepatitis B vaccination rates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do not assume that hepatitis B vaccination has been completed. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vaccines\/hcp\/acip-recs\/general-recs\/special-situations.html\" target=\"_blank\">ACIP guidelines<\/a> state that only written documentation should be accepted as <strong>evidence <\/strong>of previous vaccination.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Philadelphia\u2019s immunization information system (IIS) to <strong>verify <\/strong>whether patients have received hepatitis B vaccination. Providers can register with PhilaVax IIS by completing <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/forms.monday.com\/forms\/98f4653d2495f9a017b34bed9bd70efe?r=use1\" target=\"_blank\">this form.<\/a>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A PhilaVax login enables providers to use the &#8216;Patient Search&#8217; module to quickly search for a patient and access prior vaccinations received in the city of Philadelphia or surrounding jurisdictions. PhilaVax also hosts a vaccine recommender tool which highlights patients\u2019 overdue vaccinations.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use every opportunity to <strong>offer<\/strong> hepatitis B vaccine to unvaccinated patients, even sick visits. If you don\u2019t stock hepatitis B vaccine, <strong>refer <\/strong>patients to another local hospital, health center, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hepcap.org\/community-tools\/pharmacy-vaccine-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\">pharmacy<\/a>, or organization that can vaccinate.&nbsp;&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patients who are uninsured or underinsured can visit a local <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/documents\/list-of-federally-qualified-health-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)<\/a>, Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider, or Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR) provider to receive vaccine at no or low cost.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vaccines\/hcp\/adults\/for-practice\/standards\/documentation.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Document<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>hepatitis B immunizations and maintain updated records.&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/forms.monday.com\/forms\/98f4653d2495f9a017b34bed9bd70efe?r=use1\" target=\"_blank\">Participate<\/a> in Philadelphia\u2019s immunization information system (IIS) to report immunizations given.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Notes From the Immunization Program: Current Recommendations for Hepatitis B Vaccination The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has modified its recommendations for hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination. The ACIP now recommends that all adults aged 19-59 years and adults aged 60 and older with risk&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1,138,139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medical-directors-notes","category-general","category-vfaar","category-vfc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7762\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaccines.phila.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}