IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 117 

Recognizing the importance of vaccinations and immunizations in the United 

States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2015 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. DENT, Mr. WELCH, Mr. MARINO, Ms. BASS, 

Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mrs. BUSTOS, 

Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. CHU of California, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. DANNY K. 

DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. 

DELANEY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. DOGGETT, 

Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FARR, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAHN, Mr. HASTINGS, 

Mr. HIMES, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. JACKSON LEE, 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

KING of New York, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LIEU of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, 

Mr. MCHENRY, Ms. MENG, Ms. MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. PETERS, Mr. QUIGLEY, Miss 

RICE of New York, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of 

California, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SHIMKUS, Ms. 

SLAUGHTER, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, 

Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. TITUS, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. 

VARGAS, Mr. WALZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. MAXINE WATERS

of California, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. 

YARMUTH, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois, Mrs. 

ELLMERS, and Mr. COOPER) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 


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•HRES 117 IH 

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 vaccination and 

immunology are among the most consequential health 

findings in human history; 

Whereas vaccines have made it possible for the world to have 

eradicated smallpox, saving approximately 5,000,000 lives 

annually, and for the international community to be on 

the brink of eradicating polio and to have saved an estimated 5,000,000 people from this incurable disease over 

the past 2 decades; 

Whereas vaccines have dramatically reduced the spread of 

many more crippling and potentially life-threatening diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and 

rubella, and vaccines prevent the spread of commonly infectious and potentially fatal diseases such as chickenpox, 

shingles, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal, rotavirus, and whooping cough 

(pertussis); 

Whereas the scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are both effective and 

safe, and the dissemination of unfounded, and debunked, 

theories about the dangers of vaccinations pose a great 

risk to public health, and scientifically sound education 

and outreach campaigns about vaccination and immunization are fundamental for a well-informed public; 

Whereas an estimated 43,000 adults and 300 children die annually from vaccine-preventable diseases or their complications in the United States, and the health and liveliVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Feb 13, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117

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•HRES 117 IH 

hood of young children, seniors, individuals with immunodeficiency disorders, and those who cannot be vaccinated, 

is particularly compromised by communities with low vaccination rates; 

Whereas substantial research has shown that vaccination is 

a highly cost-effective form of preventive medicine, and 

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

estimates that vaccinations will save nearly 

$295,000,000,000 in direct costs and 

$1,380,000,000,000 in total societal costs in the United 

States; 

Whereas it is estimated that vaccinations will prevent more 

than 21,000,000 hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths 

among children born in the last 20 years, and that more 

than 100,000,000 children all over the world are immunized each year and vaccines have saved an estimated 

2,500,000 children annually; 

Whereas 1 in 5 children worldwide still lack access to even 

the most basic vaccines and as a result, an estimated 

1,500,000 children a year die from vaccine-preventable 

conditions such as diarrhea and pneumonia or suffer 

from permanently debilitating illnesses; 

Whereas a strong investment in medical research to improve 

existing vaccines and develop many more life-saving vaccines is beneficial to all, both at home and abroad, and 

a robust immunization infrastructure is essential to the 

public health and well-being of the people of the United 

States by preventing and isolating outbreaks of contagious diseases where they start; 

Whereas encouraging high vaccination rates in the United 

States protects our citizens from contracting vaccine-preVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Feb 13, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR117.IH HR117

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•HRES 117 IH 

ventable diseases that are pandemic in countries with low 

vaccination and immunization rates; 

Whereas routine and up-to-date immunization is the most effective method available to prevent the infection and 

transmission of potentially fatal diseases; and 

Whereas the United States has been a leader in promoting 

vaccinations around the world through U.S. Agency for 

International Development, the CDC, Gavi, the Vaccine 

Alliance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, 

UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and a host of 

other multilateral and non-governmental organizations: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

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 our global and do7 mestic health through vaccination; 

8 (2) affirms vaccines and immunizations save 

9 lives and are essential to maintain the public health, 

10 economic and national security of the people of the 

11 United States; 

12 (3) recognizes that the lack of vaccination can 

13 cause a true public health crisis, and that there is 

14 no credible evidence to show that vaccines cause life15 threatening or disabling diseases in healthy children 

16 or adults; 


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•HRES 117 IH 

1 (4) encourages a continued commitment to re2 search to improve vaccines and to develop new vac3 cines against other infectious and fatal diseases; and 

4 (5) urges parents, in consultation with their 

5 health care provider, to follow the scientific evidence 

6 and consensus of medical experts in favor of timely 

7 vaccinations to protect their children and their com8 munity. 

Æ 


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