April 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 63 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S2442-S2443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 165--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS AND 
                   IMMUNIZATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

  Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Alexander, Mrs. 
Feinstein, Mr. Reed, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Brown, Ms. Klobuchar, 
Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Coons, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Ms. Baldwin, Mr. King, Mr. Peters, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Van Hollen) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 165

       Whereas the contributions of Louis Pasteur and Edward 
     Jenner to the discovery of the principles of vaccinology are 
     among the most consequential health findings in human 
     history;
       Whereas a vaccine made possible the eradication of 
     smallpox, saving millions of lives;
       Whereas, because of the vaccine for polio, a highly 
     infectious disease caused by the poliovirus, the 
     international community--
       (1) has eliminated polio in all but 3 countries; and
       (2) has saved an estimated 15,000 Americans from paralysis 
     annually;
       Whereas vaccines have dramatically reduced the spread of 
     debilitating and potentially life-threatening diseases, 
     including--
       (1) diphtheria;
       (2) tetanus;
       (3) measles;
       (4) mumps; and
       (5) rubella;
       Whereas vaccines have prevented the spread of infectious 
     and potentially fatal diseases, including--
       (1) chickenpox;
       (2) shingles;
       (3) influenza;
       (4) hepatitis A;
       (5) hepatitis B;
       (6) meningococcal disease;
       (7) pneumococcal disease;
       (8) rotavirus;
       (9) pertussis (also known as ``whooping cough''); and
       (10) meningitis;
       Whereas the vaccine-preventable human papillomavirus (also 
     known as ``HPV'') is known to cause certain types of cancer;
       Whereas the scientific and medical communities are in 
     overwhelming consensus that vaccines are effective and safe;
       Whereas misinformation about vaccine safety and the 
     dissemination of unfounded and debunked theories about the 
     dangers of vaccinations pose a great risk to public health;
       Whereas scientifically sound education and outreach 
     campaigns about the importance of vaccination and 
     immunization are fundamental for a well-informed public;
       Whereas communities with low vaccination rates compromise, 
     in a particular way, the health and livelihood of--
       (1) infants;
       (2) young children;
       (3) seniors;
       (4) individuals with immunodeficiency disorders; and
       (5) individuals with weakened or compromised immune 
     systems, including individuals taking medication that affects 
     the immune system, such as medications to treat cancer;
       Whereas substantial research has shown that vaccination is 
     a highly cost-effective form of preventive medicine;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC'') estimates that, 
     between 1994 and 2013, vaccinations saved nearly 
     $295,000,000,000 in direct costs and $1,380,000,000,000 in 
     total societal costs in the United States;
       Whereas vaccines in the United States--
       (1) undergo extensive safety and efficacy testing before 
     licensure by the Food and Drug Administration; and
       (2) are continually monitored for adverse events;
       Whereas there are 4 post-marketing surveillance systems in 
     the United States tracking adverse events after vaccination;
       Whereas the CDC estimates that--
       (1) vaccinations will prevent more than 21,000,000 
     hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born 
     between 1994 and 2013; and
       (2) vaccines save the lives of an estimated 2,500,000 
     children under age 5 each year;
       Whereas 1 in 5 children worldwide lack access to common 
     vaccines and, as a result, an estimated 1,500,000 people die 
     each year from vaccine-preventable diseases or complications 
     of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as diarrhea and 
     pneumonia;
       Whereas strong investments in biomedical research to 
     improve existing vaccines and develop many more life-saving 
     vaccines are beneficial to all people;
       Whereas a robust immunization infrastructure, by preventing 
     and isolating outbreaks of infectious diseases at the source, 
     is essential to the public health and well-being of the 
     people of the United States;
       Whereas each State determines the vaccination requirements 
     for the people of that State;
       Whereas State vaccination requirements are informed by 
     recommendations approved by the CDC and developed by the 
     Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices;
       Whereas encouraging high vaccination rates and promoting 
     vaccine confidence in the United States protects the people 
     of the United States from contracting and spreading vaccine-
     preventable diseases;
       Whereas the World Health Organization (referred to in this 
     preamble as the ``WHO'') recently identified vaccine 
     hesitancy as a health threat for 2019;
       Whereas addressing the many factors that contribute to 
     vaccine hesitancy is crucial to increasing vaccination rates 
     and improving or achieving herd immunity;
       Whereas routine and up-to-date vaccination is the most 
     effective method available to prevent the transmission of 
     potentially fatal infectious diseases; and
       Whereas the United States has been a leader in promoting 
     vaccinations around the world through--
       (1) the United States Agency for International Development;
       (2) the CDC;
       (3) Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance;
       (4) the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;
       (5) the United Nations International Children's Emergency 
     Fund (commonly known as ``UNICEF'');
       (6) the WHO; and
       (7) many other multilateral and nongovernmental 
     organizations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the international community, global and 
     domestic health organizations, the private sector, school and 
     community leaders, and faith-based organizations for their 
     tireless work and immense contributions to bolstering global 
     and domestic health through vaccination;
       (2) affirms that vaccines and immunizations save lives and 
     are essential to maintain--
       (A) the public health; and
       (B) the economic and national security of the United 
     States;

[[Page S2443]]

       (3) recognizes that--
       (A) low vaccination rates or the lack of vaccination can 
     create an environment in which a public health crisis could 
     emerge;
       (B) vaccines--
       (i) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration 
     (referred to in this resolving clause as the ``FDA'') as safe 
     and effective; and
       (ii) meet the gold standard of safety established by the 
     FDA; and
       (C) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises 
     medical providers and parents in the United States that the 
     benefits of currently recommended vaccines greatly outweigh 
     the risks of those vaccines;
       (4) encourages a continued commitment to biomedical 
     research--
       (A) to improve vaccines; and
       (B) to develop new vaccines against other infectious and 
     fatal diseases; and
       (5) urges all people, in consultation with their health 
     care providers, to follow the scientific evidence and 
     consensus of medical experts in favor of timely vaccinations 
     to protect--
       (A) the individual vaccinated; and
       (B) the children, family, and community of the individual 
     vaccinated.

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