A VSP charity that provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children. Operates nationally through a network of community partners who identify children in need and VSP network doctors who provide the eyecare services. Call 1-800-877-7195 Monday - Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Pacific Time to speak with Member Services.

To help raise awareness of influenza vaccination recommendations and the importance of continuing vaccination efforts throughout November and beyond, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, partners and stakeholders will be announcing a National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) from Monday, November 27th through Sunday, December 3rd, 2006.

Important new document from the CDC, plus links to two good references, one for treatment of Hepatitis B and one for Hepatitis C. 1. CDC ISSUES ACIP'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON ELIMINATION OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN U.S. ADULTS. 2. Management of Hepatitis C: 2002 National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference Statement. The NIH consensus statement is a good reference for HCV treatment specifics. 3. A Physician's Guide to Chronic Hepatitis B Treatment from the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. 4. Archives for HepTalk Listserv 2006

Following the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a vaccine targeting cervical cancer, Women in Government, a national, bi-partisan, non-profit organization representing women state legislators, today recommended that all girls entering middle school be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer. The recommendation is part of the group's new policy recommendations for the HPV vaccine's implementation in the states. The group also supports parental exemptions to the HPV vaccine, based on existing state immunization exemptions. The new HPV vaccine policy recommendations are part of Women in Government's "Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign," which mobilizes state legislators to help eradicate cervical cancer through education and policy initiatives. Since 2004, 45 states have introduced legislation or resolutions tackling this issue.

Preventionof Tetanus,Dhiphteria and Pertussis among pregnant women. ACIP voted on June 30, 2006.

CDC released a revised interim Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for Tdap vaccine. It is identical to the previous interim version except for minor changes in Section 3 that reflect ACIP's evolving recommendations regarding use of Tdap during pregnancy.

The June /July edition of the HepTalk Listserv will be devoted to Cultural Compentency. We're very pleased to welcome Dr. Jennie McLauren as the Listserv Editor for June 2006.