Dynavax Announces Nationwide Harris Poll Survey Results Finding Americans Underestimate the Serious Consequences of Hepatitis B and Vaccine Protection Benefits
- Over half of American adults do not know chronic hepatitis B can cause liver disease such as cirrhosis and liver cancer
- Half of American adults were unaware that anyone can be at risk for the hepatitis B virus
- Findings released during Hepatitis Awareness Month underscore the importance of public education to address misunderstandings about hepatitis B and raise awareness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) universal recommendation that eligible adults over 19 receive the hepatitis B vaccine
- Results will be discussed with a panel of hepatitis B experts during the May 27th LinkedIn Live event
EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:DVAX), a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative vaccines, today announced the results of the Hepatitis B Perceptions and Insights Survey conducted by The Harris Poll, which found that Americans underestimate the serious consequences of hepatitis B and are largely unaware of the role vaccination plays in helping to prevent these consequences – including liver cancer. For most people, hepatitis B clears on its own, but for those who don't clear the virus, it can cause liver cancer.
The Hepatitis B Perceptions and Insights Survey was conducted among U.S. adults and found that half of Americans don't know that anyone can be at risk for the hepatitis B virus. Additionally, 54% of Americans surveyed are not concerned about getting the hepatitis B virus. Among those who were unconcerned, the top three cited reasons were: they do not believe they are at risk, they have not experienced symptoms of the virus, or their healthcare provider has not discussed the virus with them.
Hepatitis B poses a significant threat to public health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to eliminate the disease in the United States by 2030.1 In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that eligible adults (19+) receive the hepatitis B vaccine, however hepatitis B immunization rates among adults in the U.S. remain low — leaving more than 130 million adults in need of protection.2,3,4 In the U.S., hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for adults aged 19 to 59, and for adults aged 60 and older with risk factors, and adults aged 60 and older without known risk factors may also be vaccinated.2
"The results from the Hepatitis B Perceptions and Insights Survey underscore the need for further education about hepatitis B and information about how to prevent it," said Rob Janssen, Chief Medical Officer, Dynavax Technologies. "As we recognize Hepatitis Awareness Month, these findings reinforce our commitment to collaborating with the healthcare community to educate Americans about the dangers of hepatitis B and its impact on public health."
Chronic hepatitis B can lead to serious consequences including liver cirrhosis, liver transplant, liver cancer, and/or death, yet more than half of those surveyed do not know that chronic hepatitis B can cause liver cancer and only around one in three knew how the virus was spread. Furthermore, the survey found that only 20% of participants accurately understand that the hepatitis B vaccine can prevent liver infection caused by the virus and less than one in three understand the dosing options for the vaccine.
"These findings are an important step in understanding the public's perception of this incurable disease," said Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, President of the Hepatitis B Foundation. "We must work together to raise awareness of hepatitis B and the importance of prevention through vaccination."
As a next step, Dynavax will host a LinkedIn Live event on May 27, 2025, featuring a panel of experts from the hepatitis B community to discuss the survey results, the gaps in education, and ways to accelerate conversations about prevention through vaccination. To learn more about hepatitis B and the survey findings, please visit www.hepBaware.com. Registration for the LinkedIn Live is available here.
Survey Methodology
The Hepatitis B Perceptions and Insights Survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Dynavax Technologies among adults ages 18+ from September 30 – October 2, 2024 (N=2,090), and from April 10-14, 2025 (N=2,079). Data was weighted where necessary by age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status, size of household, and political party affiliation to reflect their actual proportions in the population. Study limitations: All sample surveys and polls are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate. For more information, please visit www.hepBaware.com.
About Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a viral disease of the liver that can become chronic and lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. There is no cure for hepatitis B, but effective vaccination can help prevent the disease. The Hepatitis B virus is contagious and spreads through contact with infected blood and body fluids. In the U.S., hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for adults aged 19 to 59, and for adults aged 60 and older with risk factors, and adults aged 60 and older without known risk factors may also be vaccinated.5
About Dynavax
Dynavax is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative vaccines to help protect the world against infectious diseases. The Company has two commercial products, HEPLISAV-B® vaccine [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant), Adjuvanted], which is approved in the U.S., the European Union and Great Britain for the prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus in adults 18 years of age and older, and CpG 1018® adjuvant, currently used in HEPLISAV-B and multiple adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccines. For more information about our marketed products and development pipeline, visit www.dynavax.com.
1 HHS Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan Overview, 27 November 2024. Available: https://www.hhs.gov/hepatitis/viral-hepatitis-national-strategic-plan/national-viral-hepatitis-action-plan-overview/index.html
2 Weng MK, Doshani M, Khan MA, et al. Universal hepatitis B vaccination in adults aged 19-59 years: updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71(13):477-483. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7113a1
3 He WQ, Guo GN, Li C. The impact of hepatitis B vaccination in the United States, 1999-2018. Hepatology. 2022;75(6):1566- 1578. doi:10.1002/hep.32265
4 Data on file. Dynavax Technologies Corporation. Flow model for universal hepatitis B vaccination (version 4.5) assumptions. May 24, 2021.
5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis B Basics. Accessed April 17, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-b/about/index.html
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