The final recommendations were published in the Aug. 17 issue of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (pdf). Draft recommendations were issued in May, followed by a public comment period.
“A one-time blood test for hepatitis C should be on every baby boomer’s medical checklist,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, in the release. “The new recommendations can protect the health of an entire generation of Americans and save thousands of lives.”
CDC’s previous recommendations called for testing only individuals with certain known risk factors for hepatitis C infection. Studies show that many baby boomers were infected with the virus decades ago, do not perceive themselves to be at risk, and have never been screened. CDC estimates one-time hepatitis C testing of baby boomers could identify more than 800,000 additional people with hepatitis C.
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