San Francisco Rolls Out Hepatitis B Prevention Plan
San Francisco public health officials have kicked off an aggressive campaign to address a high prevalence of hepatitis B among the city's Asian residents, offering no-cost testing, vaccination and treatment for all residents. U.S. physicians typically only test for hepatitis B among patients who engage in risky behaviors; however, many Asian immigrants are infected at birth and those who are infected often do not experience symptoms. Medication can help suppress the virus, which if left untreated can lead to liver cancer.
- "Hepatitis B Campaign Targets Asians in San Francisco" (Varney, "Morning Edition," NPR, 6/4).