,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #agg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april    
#cj1 #bjai ,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself and
 ,mr4 ,king7 submitted the following    
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,,resolution     
,expressing support for the designation 
of ,april #cj1 #bjai1 as ,national      
,adult ,hepatitis ,b ,vaccination       
,awareness ,day4  ,whereas1 as many as  
#b1bjj1jjj individuals in the ,united   
,states are chronically infected with   
hepatitis ,b1 and as many as #b_/c of   
those individuals are unaware of the    
infection2 ,whereas hepatitis ,b is a   
viral infection of the liver that is    
transmitted via infected blood and other
 bodily fluids1 including through--     
7#a7 mother-to-child transmission2 and  
7#b7 injection drug use2  ,whereas      
individuals with chronic diseases1 such 
as diabetes1 ,,hiv1 hepatitis ,c1 and   
chronic liver disease1 and individuals  

on hemodialysis1 are at an increased    
risk for hepatitis ,b co-infection2     
,whereas there is no cure for hepatitis 
,b1 and individuals with chronic        
hepatitis ,b require lifelong medical   
care2 ,whereas chronic hepatitis ,b is a
 common cause of liver cancer2 ,whereas 
#a in every #d individuals with         
unmanaged chronic hepatitis ,b will     
develop liver cancer1 cirrhosis1 or     
liver failure1 with liver cancer having 
a #e-year survival rate of only #ah     
percent in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas
 safe and highly effective vaccines to  
protect against hepatitis ,b are        
available2 ,whereas1 in accordance with 
universal childhood hepatitis ,b        
vaccination recommendations in the      
,united ,states1 infants and children in
 the ,united ,states have routinely been
 vaccinated against hepatitis ,b since  
the #aiijs2 ,whereas the hepatitis ,b   
vaccine1 which is #ie percent effective 
and was the first anticancer vaccine to 
be developed1 is projected to prevent   

#caj1jjj1jjj cases of hepatitis ,b      
worldwide from #aiij to #bjbj2 ,whereas 
only #be percent of adults in the       
,united ,states are vaccinated against  
hepatitis ,b2 ,whereas the number of    
reported acute hepatitis ,b cases       
increased by #bj percent nationwide in  
#bjae2 ,whereas1 as a result of the     
opioid epidemic1 there have been        
significant regional increases in acute 
hepatitis ,b cases in the ,united       
,states1 including--  7#a7 a reported   
#gbi-percent increase from #bjae to     
#bjag in ,maine2  7#b7 a reported       
#aad-percent increase from #bjji to     
#bjac in ,kentucky1 ,west ,virginia1 and
 ,tennessee2  7#c7 a reported           
#gh-percent increase in #bjag in        
southeastern ,massachusetts2 and  7#d7 a
 reported #fb-percent increase from     
#bjab to #bjaf in ,north ,carolina2     
,whereas1 according to the ,centers for 
,disease ,control and ,prevention1      
hepatitis ,b is #ej to #ajj times more  
infectious than ,,hiv1 and #e to #aj    

times more infectious than hepatitis ,c2
 and ,whereas there are significant     
opportunities1 particularly within the  
setting of the opioid epidemic1 to      
prevent new hepatitis ,b infections1 and
 thereby reduce the incidence of liver  
cancer and cirrhosis1 through efforts   
to--  7#a7 increase adult hepatitis ,b  
vaccination2 and  7#b7 maintain         
childhood hepatitis ,b vaccination3     
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the       
,senate-- 7#a7 supports the designation 
of ,april #cj1 #bjai1 as ,national      
,adult ,hepatitis ,b ,vaccination       
,awareness ,day2  7#b7 recognizes the   
importance of providing support and     
encouragement-- 7,a7 for all individuals
 to be tested for hepatitis ,b2  7,b7   
for individuals susceptible to infection
 to be vaccinated against hepatitis ,b2 
and  7,c7 for individuals diagnosed with
 hepatitis ,b to be linked to           
appropriate care2 and  7#c7 in order to 
reduce the number of new hepatitis ,b   
infections and hepatitis ,b-related     

deaths1 encourages a commitment to--    
7,a7 increasing adult hepatitis ,b      
vaccination rates2  7,b7 maintaining    
childhood hepatitis ,b vaccination      
rates2 and  7,c7 promoting provider and 
community awareness of adult hepatitis  
,b vaccination4