I got Hepatitis B from my mom at birth because the vaccine wasn’t available when I was born. I’ve been doing routine blood tests for years and have lived in several states (OH, GA, NY, MA, NJ, and now PA). I’m also 100% supportive of vaccines.
Last Friday, I had my regular Hep B bloodwork done here in Pennsylvania, where I’ve lived for the past three years.
Today, I got an unexpected call from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Apparently, the lab reported my results to the state, and the caller wanted to know whether I planned to get pregnant so they could track vaccination and follow-up for a future baby.
I understand the public health goal and the importance of preventing mother-to-child transmission of Hep B. I also know the current administration has a different take on Hep B vaccine. But honestly, having a stranger from the state call me about my test results felt very invasive and uncomfortable. I would much rather have these conversations through my doctor.
I know the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in PA, so I’m sharing this in case anyone involved in policy sees it. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Hi @mew,
I hear you. It is a requirement that individuals who test positive for a group of diseases, including hepatitis B, must be reported to the state. My diagnosis was shared with the state of Maryland as well when I tested positive. I never got a call as a male. Receiving a call out of the blue could feel uncomfortable, but I’m guessing that because you are a woman of childbearing age, they want you to be supported and share resources. I don’t know whether they call all women who test positive. While it feels weird, I doubt there is anything nefarious behind the call. The state has an interest in your children (this is common in every state), so I’m guessing they are trying to play their role here.
This is my personal opinion on this matter. I hope others with similar experiences can share. Best, Bansah1
I understand how this can be difficult and a bit embarrassing. However, public health measures to reduce transmission of infectious diseases require that certain preventable diseases be tracked. For example, hepatitis A virus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (causes tuberculosis) infections need to be reported to the public health office so that they can prevent spread by the best available means. For exmple: HepA is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water. The public health office uses the case report for contact tracing, knowing who to offer vaccination, and identifying the source of an outbreak to clean up the contamination (like by closing a restaurant for a while for a thorough cleaning and disposal of potentially contaminated food). That is almost certainly why you were contacted and reminded to vaccinate any infants you may have.
Note that this is mandated by state laws, so there was no option for your health care team, and that the laws are slightly different from state to state. Your health information is covered by the HIPPA law, so it is confidential and used only for infection control. It will never be shared for any other use.