Hepatitis B is preventable with a vaccine that has been available for over 20 years. The hepatitis B vaccine provides an easy and effective method for preventing HBV infection and its deadly implications. All people, including children, adolescents and adults should be vaccinated provided they are not already chronically infected with HBV.

Click here for a list of clinics in San Francisco offering free and low cost testing and vaccination.

Diagnosing HBV is done through a simple and inexpensive blood test that detects the presence of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a marker for chronic infection. Early detection of HBV will also help to prevent the infection from spreading. Because over 10% of the Asian & Pacific Islander community is chronically infected with hepatitis B, all members of the API community should be tested for HBV.