3 For Life

The ALC celebrated the completion of the hugely successful "3 for Life" program in September 2005. A collaboration between the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the ALC, this novel program provided low-cost hepatitis A and B vaccinations and free hepatitis B testing to the San Francisco community every first and third Saturday of the month for a year.

In a mere 24 Saturdays and 72 clinic hours, we tested and vaccinated over 1200 people. Do the math and you'll find this translates to approximately 1 shot every 2 minutes! This program flourished with the unwavering dedication of over 120 volunteers, 10-15 of whom were needed on any given Saturday. Over the course of the year, the ALC recruited, trained and coordinated these volunteers, who proved essential in running a smooth and efficient program.

Nearly 10% of those tested were found to be chronically infected with hepatitis B. These clients were advised to get regularly screened for liver cancer and liver damage. Over 50% of those tested were found to be unprotected and vulnerable to HBV infection, highlighting the need for further educational and vaccination programs such as "3 For Life" in other communities.

The widespread participation of the community indicates that accessibility, convenience of location, and low-cost of vaccines are important factors in an effective outreach and vaccination program. "3 for Life" was created with the hope that it would serve as a model for public health organizations across the country to implement similar programs in the future.

In January 2006, our vision was realized as both UCSF and the Chinese Christian Herald Community Center (CCHC) of Los Angeles adopted "3 for Life" for their own communities. The program officially launched in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 14 and was offered every 2nd and 4th Saturday until July. For more information, please visit the CCHC website (in Chinese).

In addition, the Hawaii Jade Ribbon Campaign, the Hawaii State Department of Health, and the North American Taiwanese Medical Association joined efforts with the Asian Liver Center to launch "3 for Life: Hawaii" on September 2, 2006.

Key players included Dr. David Mai (far left), Janet Zola (center), Sharon Yao (fourth from the right), Dr. Naoky Tsai (far right), Mrs. Spring Tsai, Dr. Ida Mai, and over 50 volunteers.

Dr. Tsai, one of the leaders of the Jade Ribbon Campaign in Hawaii, gave an inaugural speech.

Organizers and participants enjoyed a lion dance outside of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza where the program kicked off.

On opening day 150 Hawaii residents were tested for HBV. The program will continue on every 1st and 3rd Saturday (from 10am to 1pm) for one year.

The ALC is proud to serve as a leader in developing programs that can be replicated all over the world, and welcomes partnerships with open arms.


- Copyright 2005 Asian Liver Center at Stanford University -