III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 159 

Designating April 24, 2019, as ‘‘Meningitis B Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 11, 2019 

Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. STABENOW) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 24, 2019, as ‘‘Meningitis B Awareness 

Day’’. 

Whereas it is the custom of the Senate to increase awareness 

of serious illnesses that affect the lives of the people of 

the United States; 

Whereas meningococcal disease, more commonly referred to 

as ‘‘bacterial meningitis’’, is any infection caused by the 

bacterium Neisseria meningitidis; 

Whereas meningococcal disease is uncommon, and the flu-like 

symptoms of the disease make diagnosis difficult; 

Whereas meningococcal disease can cause serious illnesses, 

such as— 

(1) an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal 

column known as ‘‘meningitis’’; and 

(2) blood infections known as ‘‘sepsis’’; 


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Whereas the disease strikes quickly and may lead to severe 

or permanent disabilities, such as hearing loss, brain 

damage, seizures, and limb amputation, and may even 

lead to death within 24 to 48 hours; 

Whereas, although 1 in 10 people are carriers of Neisseria 

meningitidis bacteria with no signs or symptoms of disease, Neisseria meningitidis bacteria may sometimes 

cause illnesses; 

Whereas there are different strains of meningococcal disease, 

including strains caused by Neisseria meningitidis 

serogroups A, C, W, Y, and B; 

Whereas vaccines exist to help provide protection against all 

strains of meningococcal disease caused by the 

serogroups common in the United States; 

Whereas meningococcal disease is spread from person to person via the exchange of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria 

through respiratory and throat secretions during close or 

lengthy contact, including contact such as— 

(1) sharing beverages or eating utensils; 

(2) kissing; and 

(3) spending time in close contact with someone who 

is sick or who carries the bacteria; 

Whereas community settings in which large groups of people 

gather, such as college campuses, may increase the risk 

of transmission of meningococcal disease; 

Whereas, because of the way meningococcal disease is spread 

through close personal contact, the social behavior of 

young adults ages 16 to 23 increases the risk of those 

adults contracting the disease; 


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Whereas students in dormitory settings and at crowded 

events are particularly vulnerable to meningococcal disease; 

Whereas college students ages 18 to 24 were found to be 3.5 

times more likely to contract meningitis B, the strain of 

meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B, compared 

to their peers not in school; 

Whereas the single best way to help prevent all common 

strains of meningococcal disease is to be vaccinated 

with— 

(1) a MenACWY vaccine to protect against the 

strains of meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, 

C, W, and Y; and 

(2) a separate MenB vaccine to protect against the 

strain of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B; 

Whereas the incidence of meningococcal disease in the United 

States has steadily declined from 1.20 cases per 100,000 

individuals in 1995 to a historic low of 0.11 cases per 

100,000 individuals in 2017; 

Whereas, although vaccines for serogroups A, C, W, and Y 

have been available for many years, a vaccine for 

serogroup B was not available until 2014; 

Whereas, despite the existence of a vaccine for serogroup B 

since 2014, meningitis B has been responsible for all 

United States college campus outbreaks since 2011, with 

some cases resulting in death; 

Whereas, because the strain of meningococcal disease caused 

by serogroup B requires a new, separate vaccination, students heading to college may mistakenly think that, if 

they received the MenACWY vaccine, they are protected 

against all strains of the disease, and may not realize 


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that they are not protected against the strain caused by 

serogroup B; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B accounts 

for approximately half of all cases of meningococcal disease among individuals ages 15 to 22 in the United 

States; 

Whereas vaccination for serogroups A, C, W, and Y is routinely recommended by the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention; 

Whereas the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 

of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that decisions to vaccinate adolescents and 

young adults ages 16 to 23 against the strain of 

meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B should be 

made at the individual level with health care providers; 

Whereas a recent study found that many doctors are not 

talking to patients about the MenB vaccine, including 49 

percent of pediatricians and 69 percent of family physicians who do not regularly discuss the MenB vaccine during routine visits with individuals ages 16 to 18; 

Whereas meningitis vaccines are covered by public and private health insurance plans, and individuals should be encouraged to contact health insurance plans to determine 

coverage of MenACWY and MenB vaccines; 

Whereas the Federal Vaccines for Children program covers 

both MenACWY and MenB vaccines for— 

(1) children and adults who have no health insurance or whose health insurance does not cover those vaccines; and 


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(2) children less than 19 years of age who are American Indian, Alaska Native, or eligible for Medicaid or 

other State health plan coverage; 

Whereas, in 2012, before meningitis B vaccines were available in the United States, Kimberly Coffey, a 17-year-old 

high school senior on Long Island, New York, died from 

meningitis B; 

Whereas Patti Wukovits, R.N., the mother of Kimberly 

Coffey, created the Kimberly Coffey Foundation, a vital 

organization with the mission of— 

(1) providing education to the public and health care 

professionals about meningococcal disease; and 

(2) advocating for two types of vaccination for 

meningococcal disease; 

Whereas the goal of the Kimberly Coffey Foundation is to ensure that no other family will endure the loss of a child 

or have a loved one experience the devastating effects of 

meningococcal disease; 

Whereas June 15, 2019, marks the seventh anniversary of 

the death of Kimberly Coffey; 

Whereas 19-year-old Emily Nicole Stillman, while a sophomore at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 

tragically contracted bacterial meningitis before meningitis B vaccines were available in the United States; 

Whereas, on February 2, 2013, after just 36 hours in the 

hospital, Emily Nicole Stillman passed away; 

Whereas, in 2014, Alicia Stillman, the mother of Emily Nicole Stillman, created the Emily Stillman Foundation— 

(1) to preserve the memory of Emily Nicole 

Stillman; 

(2) to advocate for organ and tissue donation; and 


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(3) to advocate for the increased availability of vaccines for all vaccine-preventable diseases, including the 

increased availability of meningitis vaccines for children; 

Whereas February 2019 marked the sixth anniversary of the 

death of Emily Stillman; 

Whereas the Meningitis B Action Project, a joint initiative of 

the Kimberly Coffey Foundation and the Emily Stillman 

Foundation, is committed to raising awareness about 

meningococcal disease throughout the United States; 

Whereas students, parents, educators, and health care providers should learn about all strains of meningococcal disease and how to protect against all strains of the disease; 

and 

Whereas April 24, 2019, should be designated as ‘‘Meningitis 

B Awareness Day’’ to coincide with the observance of 

World Meningitis Day: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 24, 2019, as ‘‘Meningitis B 

3 Awareness Day’’; and 

4 (2) encourages— 

5 (A) all individuals to contact health insur6 ance plans to determine coverage of MenACWY 

7 and MenB vaccines; and 

8 (B) students, parents, educators, and 

9 health care providers to learn about all strains 

10 of meningococcal disease and how to protect 

11 against all strains of the disease. 

Æ 


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