IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 709 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Immunization Awareness Month 

to raise awareness of the benefits of immunization. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2009 

Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. GENE GREEN of 

Texas, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. MASSA, Mr. KIRK, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. RUSH, 

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 

MOORE of Kansas, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Immunization 

Awareness Month to raise awareness of the benefits of 

immunization. 

Whereas immunization is one of the most significant public 

health achievements of the 20th century; 

Whereas the United States has eradicated smallpox and polio 

and seen the incidence of measles, pertussis, and diphtheria fall by more than 98 percent since the discovery 

of vaccinations; 

Whereas vaccines are available for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, 

influenza, diptheria, cervical cancer (HPV), measles, 


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•HRES 709 IH 

meningococcal, mumps, pertussis, pneumococcal disease, 

polio, rabies, shingles, smallpox, tetanus, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, varicella, yellow fever, and several other diseases; 

Whereas 1.7 million children die throughout the world annually from diseases that could have been prevented with 

readily available vaccinations; 

Whereas only 77 percent of children in the United States 

have received all of the recommended vaccinations; 

Whereas 50,000 adults die in the United States annually 

from diseases that could have been prevented with readily 

available vaccinations; 

Whereas pneumonia and influenza are the 5th leading cause 

of death among adults over the age of 65; 

Whereas less than 70 percent of adults over the age of 65 

are vaccinated for both pneumococcal and influenza; 

Whereas August is the ideal month for children to receive immunizations before school begins; and 

Whereas the month of August would be an appropriate 

month to designate as National Immunization Awareness 

Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Immunization Awareness Month; 

4 (2) encourages local communities to raise 

5 awareness surrounding the benefits of immunization; 

6 (3) encourages individuals to receive rec7 ommended immunizations; 


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1 (4) recognizes and salutes health care profes2 sionals and researchers that have facilitated the suc3 cess of immunizations in eradicating and drastically 

4 decreasing the incidence of several diseases; and 

5 (5) recognizes and reaffirms the Nation’s com6 mitment to continued education surrounding immu7 nization and to furthering every available oppor8 tunity for the immunization of children, adults and 

9 senior citizens. 

Æ 


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