DDP E-bulletin: June 2026

Posted on by DDP PR Coordinator

Honoring Beth Marschak

Most of our partners have now heard the sad news that our colleague and friend, Beth Marschak, passed away suddenly on June 3. A tribute to her legacy is located on our Facebook and on our website. Her absence is deeply and profoundly felt.

In honor of her work starting and building the VDH Condom Distribution Program from the ground up, we are renaming the program, “The Beth Marschak Condom Program.” We will continue to honor Beth’s work and contributions to the communities of Virginia and the legacy she leaves behind each day.

Bicillin Restrictions for Local Health Departments

Benzathine penicillin G (Bicillin L-A®) is currently the only recommended treatment for syphilis during pregnancy. There is an ongoing shortage of this medicine in the United States. In the United States, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‑approved product is made by King Pharmaceuticals (a Pfizer company). This medication is still in shortage. In April 2026, Pfizer announced that the next shipment of both 1.2 million‑unit and 2.4 million‑unit prefilled syringes is scheduled for October 2026. They expect the full supply to be restored by Quarter 4 of 2027. This new timeline is one year later than what was first expected. The FDA website will continue to share updates.

The FDA is allowing the temporary importation of Lentocilin© due to the ongoing limited availability and extended recovery of Bicillin® L-A. The National Network of STD Prevention Training Centers has posted information for health care providers on the administration of Lentocilin©.

Until recently, health departments in Virginia had enough supply of Bicillin L-A® to treat all patients referred to their clinics. However, the shortage has lasted long enough that restrictions are now needed. As of May 31, 2026, health department clinics are using Bicillin L‑A® only for the following patients:

    • Pregnant women of any age
    • Women of reproductive age (15-44), regardless of pregnancy status, who are infected with or exposed to syphilis
    • Partners of pregnant women infected with syphilis
    • Patients for whom there is a contraindication to alternative treatment regimens such as doxycycline, or who are highly unlikely to comply with an oral treatment regimen, are prioritized on a case-by-case basis, and as supply allows

Please continue to follow the syphilis alternative treatment guidance described in the clinician letter dated June 24, 2025. Should you need to treat a pregnant patient, infant or person allergic to doxycycline, VDH has Bicillin® L-A doses available through the Bicillin® L-A delivery program.

 

National HIV Testing Day

National HIV Testing Day is June 27. DDP will have a blog for the observance on the DDP homepage and several social media posts going out on the Disease Prevention Hotline Facebook. Feel free to share our blog and posts on your accounts.

For resources and/or help planning events, visit:

 

Personnel Announcements

Welcome

Debbie Guilbault joined DDP as the HIV Care Services Unit Director on June 25. Debbie left the Kansas Department of Health (DOH), where she served as the STI/HIV/Hepatitis Care, Prevention & Surveillance Section Chief since 2019. Prior to her work at the Kansas DOH, Debbie was the Executive Director of Positive Connections (formerly the Topeka AIDS Project) for 15 years. Debbie is actively engaged with NASTAD and currently serves as a board member. Welcome, Debbie!

DDP welcomed Erik Jarvis back to DDP as the MMP (Medical Monitoring Project) Coordinator- on June 10. He returned to DDP from the Division of Immunization within the Office of Epidemiology (OEpi), where he was the Vaccine Quality Assurance Consultant. Erik previously worked in MMP as the Project Coordinator and as an Epidemiology Specialist from 2018 to 2025. In addition, he has work experience as a Lead Disease Intervention Specialist. Erik can be reached at erik.jarvis@vdh.virginia.gov.

The Division is also excited to welcome Nan Haugan back. Nan will re-join DDP as the HIV & Hepatitis Surveillance (HHS) Unit Director on August 25 when she returns from parental leave. Nan has been with VDH since 2014 and held several roles in OEpi during that time. Nan’s DDP experience includes STD Epi & Surveillance Coordinator, STD Epi & Surveillance manager, and HIV Data Analyst. Most recently, she served as the Applied Epi and Health Information Manager in the Division of Surveillance and Investigation (DSI). Jenny Kienzle will continue to provide unit Director coverage for HHS in the interim.