The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) has drafted a letter to Secretary of Defense Aston Carter to request the inclusion of a public input process in the current review of Department of Defense (DoD) medical accession policies, including the policies pertaining to chronic hepatitis B, which is treatable and vaccine-preventable.
The summary of the letter is as follows:
“HBV civil rights advocates recommend that the DoD open the current internal review of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) personnel policies by inviting and seriously weighing information and recommendations of civilian subject matter experts from relevant federal agencies, professional organizations, HBV and liver specialists, and veterans and civil rights advocacy organizations. It is incumbent upon DoD policymakers to ensure that the policies and practices that affect HBV-infected accessions, scholarship recipients and appointees, and existing personnel are consistent with current medical science, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and DoD values.”
