May 29, 2013
On Memorial Day, Illinois Rep. Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) and a bipartisan group of legislators held a press conference calling for the state to establish a hepatitis C taskforce. The task force's focus will be to raise public awareness about this serious disease and provide solutions for better education and treatment. US Vietnam-era veterans are a particularly high risk for hepatitis C. Moffitt declared that the taskforce will bring together healthcare professionals, patients, veterans, and the general public to work toward prolonging and improving the quality of life of infected patients. In August, CDC issued guidelines recommending that all baby boomers be tested for hepatitis C, citing studies suggesting more than 2 million Americans born between 1945 and 1965 may be infected with the virus. No vaccine exists to protect against hepatitis C, although effective treatments exist. In some cases, the virus can be cured. To learn more about the hepatitis virus, visit www.cdc.gov or www.hcvets.com.