III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 165 

Recognizing the importance of vaccinations and immunizations in the United 

States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 11, 2019 

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 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of vaccinations and 

immunizations in the United States. 

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 


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(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 


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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— 


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(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; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the international community, 

3 global and domestic health organizations, the private 

4 sector, school and community leaders, and faith5 based organizations for their tireless work and im6 mense contributions to bolstering global and domes7 tic health through vaccination; 

8 (2) affirms that vaccines and immunizations 

9 save lives and are essential to maintain— 

10 (A) the public health; and 


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1 (B) the economic and national security of 

2 the United States; 

3 (3) recognizes that— 

4 (A) low vaccination rates or the lack of 

5 vaccination can create an environment in which 

6 a public health crisis could emerge; 

7 (B) vaccines— 

8 (i) are approved by the Food and 

9 Drug Administration (referred to in this 

10 resolving clause as the ‘‘FDA’’) as safe 

11 and effective; and 

12 (ii) meet the gold standard of safety 

13 established by the FDA; and 

14 (C) the Centers for Disease Control and 

15 Prevention advises medical providers and par16 ents in the United States that the benefits of 

17 currently recommended vaccines greatly out18 weigh the risks of those vaccines; 

19 (4) encourages a continued commitment to bio20 medical research— 

21 (A) to improve vaccines; and 

22 (B) to develop new vaccines against other 

23 infectious and fatal diseases; and 

24 (5) urges all people, in consultation with their 

25 health care providers, to follow the scientific eviVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:50 Apr 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR165.ATS SR165

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1 dence and consensus of medical experts in favor of 

2 timely vaccinations to protect— 

3 (A) the individual vaccinated; and 

4 (B) the children, family, and community of 

5 the individual vaccinated. 

Æ 


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