Hep B Free Giants pre-game ceremony!

On Tuesday, May 1st, 2012, San Francisco Giants Pitcher Sergio Romo joined Alameda County Hep B Free Co-Founder Dr. Jennifer Ong O.D.and the Hep B Free team in a pre-game ceremony to briefly address the stadium about the disease. 80% liver cancer worldwide is caused by Hep B which affects 1 in 10 Asian Pacific Islanders. Hep B can be prevented with a vaccine and treatments prevent liver cancer.
25.7% of Alameda County residents are Asian Pacific Islanders. Therefore, the Alameda County Hep B Free Campaign hopes to increase awareness and education to the API community. Hepatitis B is a disease that is caused by the Hepatitis B virus. It is often called the “silent killer” because it is asymptomatic. Thus people with the disease often don’t feel or see any symptoms, making it even more important to be screened and vaccinated. Hepatitis B has become a global epidemic & much more prevalent in the API community.

The original Hep B Free campaign was launched in San Francisco in 2007 and has since served as a model around the country in Hep B prevention. Dr.Jennifer Ong Co-founded Alameda County Hep B Free in 2010 working with existing initiatives to build new partnerships and collaborations to make Alameda county free of Hep B. Dr. Jennifer Ong O.D. was joined by leaders of Hep B Free campaigns from counties around the Bay Area at home plate with SF Giants Sergio Romo to show their support for Hep B awareness.

For more information about Alameda County Hep B Free go to http://achepbfreecampaign.wordpress.com/