HEPATITIS B VAC-SUPPORT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0803

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SR0803 - 104th General Assembly

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SR0803
LRB104 21923 MST 37825 r
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the
3
hepatitis B virus, and current evidence indicates that
4
approximately 1.8 million Americans are infected with the
5
hepatitis B virus; it spreads from person to person via
6
contact with infected blood and/or body fluids, and hepatitis
7
B infections can range from an acute, mild, short-term illness
8
to a chronic, serious, long-term infection that can lead to
9
cirrhosis and liver cancer; infants exposed to hepatitis B
10
have a 90% risk of developing chronic hepatitis B compared to
11
adults at 5%, increasing their risk of developing liver cancer
12
or cirrhosis in their lifetimes; and

13

WHEREAS, A reported 85% of infants and 50% of older
14
children and adults with hepatitis B are asymptomatic, and
15
approximately 1 in 2 people who have hepatitis B are unaware of
16
their infection status and the need to safeguard infant
17
health; in 1991, the Advisory Committee on Immunization
18
Practices (ACIP) issued its first universal hepatitis B birth
19
dose recommendation, which led to the implementation of the
20
universal hepatitis B vaccination program in 1992 in the
21
United States; and

22

WHEREAS, Treatment reduces the risk of serious conditions
23
such as liver cancer or cirrhosis, but an estimate of up to 75%

SR0803
- 2 -
LRB104 21923 MST 37825 r
1
of people who have hepatitis B in the U.S. and are eligible for
2
treatment are not prescribed treatment, including 40% of those
3
with advanced liver disease; and

4

WHEREAS, A contemporary analysis of evidence on the
5
hepatitis B birth dose, conducted 35 years after the
6
implementation of the universal hepatitis B birth dose
7
recommendation, further affirms the well-established safety
8
and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine and the profound
9
impact it has on protecting public health, and before the
10
universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation, approximately
11
18,000 children in the United States were infected each year
12
by hepatitis B virus before their tenth birthdays; and

13

WHEREAS, From 1990 to 2019, the universal hepatitis B
14
birth dose recommendation led to a 99% decline in reported
15
cases of acute hepatitis B in children and young adults and
16
averted an estimated 90,100 deaths in the United States,
17
however, despite this immense progress, hepatitis B birth dose
18
coverage has steadily declined in recent years, from 83.5% in
19
2023 to 73.2% as of August 2025, well below the Healthy People
20
2030 target of 90%; hepatitis B vaccination at birth is
21
critical, and vaccination in adults remains essential to
22
safeguarding public health and decreasing hepatitis B cases;
23
and

SR0803
- 3 -
LRB104 21923 MST 37825 r
1

WHEREAS, Vaccination coverage remains low among US adults
2
at 32.5%, with data showing that less than half, 43.1%, of
3
adults ages 32-59 believed they were eligible for hepatitis B
4
vaccination and 30% reported ever receiving a provider
5
recommendation; and

6

WHEREAS, Racial and ethnic minorities experience higher
7
rates of hepatitis B infection and face disparities in vaccine
8
awareness, access, and uptake; in 2023, the rate of acute
9
hepatitis B infections was 1.9 times higher in Black
10
populations than White populations, and the incidence of
11
chronic hepatitis B was 56% higher than the national average;
12
these disparities underscore the importance of timely
13
vaccination as one of the most effective ways to prevent
14
hepatitis B infection and reduce the risk of severe health
15
complications in pediatric and adult populations; and

16

WHEREAS, Given existing shortfalls in annual hepatitis B
17
screening practices, despite a universal hepatitis B screening
18
recommendation for pregnant women, vaccination remains the
19
safest and most effective way to proactively safeguard public
20
health and prevent the devastating effects of hepatitis B
21
infection, and given existing gaps related to linkage to care
22
for people who have hepatitis B, greater awareness of and
23
access to hepatitis B screening and treatment options are
24
needed to safeguard public health; therefore, be it

SR0803
- 4 -
LRB104 21923 MST 37825 r
1

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
2
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage
3
healthcare providers, hospitals, community health centers,
4
pharmacies, and the Illinois Department of Public Health to
5
promote the hepatitis B vaccination as a highly effective and
6
safe public health measure and help increase public awareness
7
about the importance of receiving a hepatitis B vaccination
8
and expand access and awareness of hepatitis testing and
9
treatment options; and be it further

10

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Department of
11
Public Health, healthcare providers, and patients/community
12
representatives to develop or amend an effective and
13
actionable state hepatitis B strategic plan, focused on areas
14
such as immunization, screening, and linkage to care, which
15
will align stakeholders on shared objectives and efforts to
16
facilitate broad screening, vaccine, and treatment
17
availability and access with comparable initiatives in other
18
states (i.e., New York Viral Hepatitis Strategic Plan) used as
19
guiding models for plan development; and be it further

20

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Department of
21
Health to establish a hepatitis B working group to develop
22
measurable goals on which to center the hepatitis B strategic
23
plan with goals that may include but are not limited to

SR0803
- 5 -
LRB104 21923 MST 37825 r
1
strengthening immunization infrastructure, improving coverage
2
policies, assessing vaccine administration fees, increasing
3
community demand, improving vaccine confidence, and promoting
4
health equity initiatives to improve vaccine, screening and
5
treatment uptake; the hepatitis B working group should provide
6
timely updates on its activities, progress toward established
7
goals, and any recommendations.

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