Turning Tragedy Into Advocacy for Hepatitis and Liver Health Awareness

The fight against hepatitis and liver health is deeply personal for me. As a long-time health advocate, whose journey began with the devastating loss of my 4-year-old son, Dean, to an unrecognized liver disease decades ago, that tragedy became the driving force behind a lifelong commitment to preventing liver disease in both children and adults.

Throughout my nursing career, I witnessed the consequences of hepatitis B firsthand, attending numerous funerals of individuals whose infections had gone undiagnosed until it was too late. These experiences underscore the “silent” nature of hepatitis B, a virus capable of causing severe liver damage without obvious symptoms.

Hope emerged in the 1980s with the approval of a hepatitis B vaccine, a breakthrough that promised to protect future generations. Public health campaigns, particularly those led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), encouraged widespread vaccination, especially for newborns. However, on the educational side, these efforts often fell short by not fully explaining how hepatitis B damages the liver, leaving many parents unaware of the urgency behind vaccination recommendations.

While early vaccination at birth gained national support and was seen as a successful public health policy, educational gaps have remained. And without the previously recommended universal birth dosing, which was changed by the CDC’s current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, many newborns will not receive their first dose at birth, and many will miss subsequent required doses. As a result, public health will suffer and incidence rates will likely rise and cause more severe infections and mortality.

I have been frustrated over a lack of education about liver health, and hepatitis B vaccination is one example, especially as families are being made to believe this immunization is not needed. I have pushed for more comprehensive public health messaging that included basic information about the liver’s vital role. I believe that without this foundational knowledge, parents are less likely to understand the long-term risks of hepatitis B infection.

After more than 60 years of promoting liver health globally, I remain a strong supporter of vaccination but continue to call for greater emphasis on preventive education. In my view, increasing awareness about the liver and the risks of hepatitis B is essential to ensuring that more individuals take advantage of life-saving vaccines and avoid preventable disease.

Thiel is the cofounder and chair of the Liver Health Initiative. Sunday marks World Liver Day, and we will be posting stories from Thiel as well as commentary from clinicians around diseases that affect the liver.