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New California Law for Doctors to Test Every Adult for Hepatitis B
Most people with hepatitis B infection do not know it until too late. Because so many Americans are still dying from preventableliver cancer or cirrhosis (hardening of liver), California has a new law requiring doctors to test every adultfor hepatitis B infection. Many Asian-Americans got infected as babies. Safe and effective pills can be taken now once a day to stop the virus and make the virus disappear from the blood. Taking the anti-viral medicinecan help infected patients avoid liver cancer and cirrhosis. Ultrasound scans can find small cancers when they are curable.The new law also requires doctors to offer follow-up medical care to patients with hepatitis B, such as ultrasound scans oranti-viral medications.
The California law further mentions the presence of “hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)” in blood as evidence of hepatitis Binfection. HBsAgis a protein coating of the virus that is produced in large amounts by the infected liver. A simple blood test to find the antigen in blood can save many lives by preventing or finding early liver cancer or cirrhosis.
The hepatitis B surface antigen is also produced artificially in yeast cells to make the hepatitis B vaccines that are given to babies,children and adultsto prevent hepatitis B infection.The original hepatitis B vaccines were made from human blood collected from infected patients, but now they are all made artificially. Hepatitis B vaccines are very effective in preventing hepatitis B infections, but they must be given before the infection. They do not work after the infection has occurred. However, doctors are working very hard to discover vaccines that can cure infected patients, perhaps in combination with anti-viral medicines. Such vaccines must be tested in clinical trials before approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Sinil Kim, MD and Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN started HepaCure Foundation to reduce death and suffering from chronic hepatitis B and find a cure. The Foundation has antiviral medicines available, free of charge. Dr. Sinil Kim is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and Dr. Son Chae Kim is an Associate Dean and Professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, School of Nursing.
How is ChronicHepatitis B different from the Acute Hepatitis?
When babies get infected with the hepatitis B virus, their immunity is not mature enough to stop the viral replication (multiplication) and the replication continues quietly throughout their lives, until it causes liver cancer or cirrhosis (hardening of liver). This is chronic (long-term) hepatitis B.In contrast, when adults get infected, their immunity is mature enough to stop viral replication and the virus disappears from the bloodafter a few weeks or months. This is acute (short-term) hepatitis B, which does not cause liver cancer or cirrhosis. In most countries, all babies start receiving the hepatitis B vaccines immediately after birth, which has prevented both acute and chronic hepatitis B. South Korea and Taiwan started new-born hepatitis B vaccinations more than 40 years ago.
In Vietnam, new-born hepatitis B vaccinationsstarted about 20 years ago. There was a Hepatitis B vaccine shortages in Vietnam from 2011 to 2013, resulting in increased chronic hepatitis B among the Vietnamese born in those years. Among 2508Vietnamese-Americanstested in Orange and Los Angeles County, 9% had chronic hepatitis B. Vietnamese-Americans born outside the USA had 13 times higher likelihood of chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is spread through sharing of infected blood, semen or other body fluids. Although saliva can have hepatitis B virus, it is not spread through kissing or sharing food. Hepatitis B vaccine doses must be given before exposure to prevent hepatitis B infection, but there are medicines (hepatitis B immune globulin – HBIG)made from human blood samples with high levels of antibodies that can prevent infections after exposure to the virus. However, the HBIG must be given within 24 hours after exposure.
Sinil Kim, MD and Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN started HepaCure Foundation to reduce death and suffering from chronic hepatitis B and find a cure. The Foundation has antiviral medicines available, free of charge. Dr. Sinil Kim is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and Dr. Son Chae Kim is an Associate Dean and Professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, School of Nursing.
Dr. Sinil Kim
Dr. Sinil Kim is the President and founder of HepaCure Foundation. He and his wife have made donations to Doctors Without Borders and helped to build a hospital in the mountains of western Myanmar. Recently, Dr, Kim realized that many Vietnamese-Americans here in California have chronic Hepatitis B infections without knowing it until they get liver cancer or cirrhosis. To make an impact closer to home, Dr. Kim and his wife started a non-profit HepaCure Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to reduce death and suffering due to hepatitis B, as well as find a cure for the disease. The Foundation provides free medical care and medicine to infected patients.
Dr. Sinil Kim is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and medical oncologist. Previously, he was a professor at UCSD School of Medicine. Dr. Kim’s wife, Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN, is a professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. Dr. Son Chae Kim is an Associate Dean and Professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, School of Nursing. Together with Dr. Sinil Kim, she is a co-founder of HepaCure Foundation
Daisy Nguyen Orca, Chief Phlebotomist
Dr. Sinil Kim, MD
Co-Founder
Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN
Co-Founder
Daisy Nguyen Orca
Chief Phlebotomist
Dr. Sinil Kim
Dr. Sinil Kim is the President and founder of HepaCure Foundation. He and his wife have made donations to Doctors Without Borders and helped to build a hospital in the mountains of western Myanmar. Recently, Dr, Kim realized that many Vietnamese-Americans here in California have chronic Hepatitis B infections without knowing it until they get liver cancer or cirrhosis. To make an impact closer to home, Dr. Kim and his wife started a non-profit HepaCure Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to reduce death and suffering due to hepatitis B, as well as find a cure for the disease. The Foundation provides free medical care and medicine to infected patients.
Dr. Sinil Kim is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and medical oncologist. Previously, he was a professor at UCSD School of Medicine. Dr. Kim’s wife, Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN, is a professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. Dr. Son Chae Kim is an Associate Dean and Professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, School of Nursing. Together with Dr. Sinil Kim, she is a co-founder of HepaCure Foundation
Daisy Nguyen Orca, Chief Phlebotomist
Dr. Sinil Kim, MD
Co-Founder
Son Chae Kim, PhD, RN
Co-Founder
Daisy Nguyen Orca
Chief Phlebotomist