Protecting kids, preventing liver cancer: An expert conversation on why childhood hepatitis B vaccination matters
Doylestown, Pa., April 30, 2025 - The Hepatitis B Foundation hosted gathering of public health and health care professionals in the Philadelphia region to discuss hepatitis B vaccination, testing and related issues at the landmark Cira Centre on April 23.
The event grew from a new program, announced by Foundation President Dr. Chari Cohen, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, to create a vaccine outreach and education program to improve community awareness and knowledge of vaccines throughout the lifespan--and to help people make the link between vaccines and cancer prevention.
The goal is to provide resources and training for community leaders and community providers, to improve their capacity to conduct local education and outreach.
“Improving awareness and knowledge, and promoting uptake of safe and effective vaccines, will improve health outcomes across Pennsylvania, and throughout the lifespan,” Dr. Cohen said. “Ensuring high vaccine coverage can help eliminate childhood diseases, infectious disease, and infections that cause cancer.
(L-R) Dr. Cohen, Dr. Handy, Dr. Rothstein and Dr. Tsou
One of the panelists, Dr. Lori Handy, said physicians face a major challenge today helping parents understand why their babies need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B and they don’t leave medical school with the necessary knowledge to do so.
“The amount of coaching and teaching that’s needed when it comes to vaccines and so many other issues is not adequate,” said Dr. Handy is the Associate Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The discussion was moderated by Dr. Walter Tsou, retired public health director for the City of Philadelphia, former president of the American Public Health Association and member of the Hepatitis B Foundation Board of Directors.
Dr. Kenneth Rothstein, Director of Regional Outreach and Regional Hepatology; Professor of Clinical Medicine (Gastroenterology), University of Pennsylvania, spoke about the need for expanded testing.
“We should be at every baseball game, football game, concert hall, community center and so forth doing screening,” Dr. Rothstein said. “You will save lives. We need to get out there and go into the community and find the patients.”
The event was organized by Michaela Jackson, MS, MPH, the Hepatitis B Foundation’s Program Director for Prevention Policy. She told the audience that they should make use of the Vaccines Toolkit on the Foundation’s website. She also urged them to take the lessons learned during the day’s event and share them with their community.