Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim the month of May 2026, as Hepatitis B Awareness Month in the State of New York

Senate Resolution No. 2098

BY: Senator WEBB

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        the month of May  2026,  as  Hepatitis  B  Awareness
        Month in the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B
virus; current  incidence  estimates  indicate  that  approximately  1.8
million Americans are infected with hepatitis B virus; and

  WHEREAS,  New York has one of the highest hepatitis B burdens in the
nation, with a 2021 study estimating a prevalence of approximately 0.8%,
ranking third among U.S. states; Queens County bears a  disproportionate
share  of  this  burden,  with an estimated 42,600 residents living with
hepatitis B, the second-highest total among U.S. counties; and

  WHEREAS, Hepatitis B spreads from person to person via contact  with
infected blood and/or body fluids; and

  WHEREAS,  Hepatitis  B  infection  can  range  from  an acute, mild,
short-term illness to a chronic, serious, long-term infection  that  can
lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer; and

  WHEREAS,  85%  of  infants and 50% of older children and adults with
hepatitis B are asymptomatic and about 1 in 2 people who have  hepatitis
B are unaware of their infection status; and

  WHEREAS, Infants face an increased hepatitis B exposure risk through
everyday  contact  and  infected  family members, and are susceptible to
developing acute and serious health issues if they are infected at birth
or in early childhood; and

  WHEREAS,  Infants  exposed  to  hepatitis  B  have  a  90%  risk  of
developing  chronic  hepatitis  B,  greatly  increasing  their  risk  of
developing serious liver conditions such as liver cancer or cirrhosis in
their lifetime; and

  WHEREAS, Treatment reduces the risk of serious  conditions  such  as
liver  cancer  or cirrhosis, but an estimated up to 75 percent of people
who have hepatitis B in the U.S. and are eligible for treatment are  not
prescribed  treatment,  including  40%  of  those  with  advanced  liver
disease; and

  WHEREAS, To safeguard infant health, in 1991, the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued its first universal hepatitis  B
birth  dose  recommendation,  which  led  to  the  implementation of the
universal hepatitis B vaccination program in 1992 in the United  States;
and

  WHEREAS, Before the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation,
around  18,000  children in the United States were infected each year by
hepatitis B virus before their 10th birthday; and

  WHEREAS, From 1990 to 2019, the universal  hepatitis  B  birth  dose
recommendation led to a 99% decline in reported cases of acute hepatitis

B in children and young adults and averted an estimated 90,100 deaths in
the United States: and

  WHEREAS,  The  ACIP  ended  this  universal  hepatitis  B birth dose
recommendation in 2025 and now recommends it for infants born  to  women
who  tested  positive  for  the  hepatitis  B  virus  or whose status is
unknown, limiting other infants to a recommendation for shared  clinical
decision-making; and

  WHEREAS,  Public  health  analyses suggest that skipping or delaying
the hepatitis B birth dose could  result  in  thousands  of  preventable
hepatitis  B infections and hundreds of millions in avoidable healthcare
costs in the United States; and

  WHEREAS, Amidst these changes, several states have reaffirmed  their
support for a universal hepatitis B birth dose; and

  WHEREAS,  These  state  level  changes  are beneficial to the public
health landscape and prosperity of those states; and

  WHEREAS, Given existing shortfalls in annual hepatitis  B  screening
practices,  despite a universal hepatitis B screening recommendation for
pregnant women, vaccination remains the safest and most effective way to
proactively safeguard public health and prevent the devastating  effects
of hepatitis B infection; and

  WHEREAS,  Given  existing gaps related to linkage to care for people
who have hepatitis B, greater awareness of and  access  to  hepatitis  B
screening  and  treatment  options  is  needed to protect the health and
well-being of individuals across New York; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor  Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2026, as Hepatitis B
Awareness Month in the State of New York, and to urge  the  citizens  of
this  great  Empire State to learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnoses
and treatments for Hepatitis B; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.