IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 592 

Recognizing the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox and the importance 

of vaccination in the United States and worldwide. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 

Mr. BERA (for himself, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. DAVID P. 

ROE of Tennessee, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. KATKO, and Ms. 

SCHRIER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 

on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox 

and the importance of vaccination in the United States 

and worldwide. 

Whereas 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the eradication 

of the smallpox virus, which was declared by the Global 

Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication 

in December 1979; 

Whereas smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases known to 

humans, and a total of 300,000,000 people died as a result of the disease, which was 3 out of every 10 people 

who contracted smallpox; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 592 IH 

Whereas the smallpox vaccine, introduced by Edward Jenner 

in 1796, was the first successful vaccine to be developed; 

Whereas smallpox was the first human disease to have been 

eradicated by vaccines; 

Whereas successful use of the smallpox vaccine led to the reduction of smallpox cases, and the last natural smallpox 

case in the United States occurred in 1949; 

Whereas, in 1958, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution calling for the global eradication of smallpox; 

Whereas the last natural occurrence of the smallpox virus in 

the world was in Somalia in 1977; 

Whereas the World Health Organization declared smallpox 

eradicated in 1980; 

Whereas vaccines currently save 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 lives 

annually, and an additional 1,500,000 lives could be 

spared each year if global vaccination rates improved; 

Whereas in the United States, vaccines save 3 times more 

lives than seatbelts and child restraints combined; 

Whereas important research and development of vaccines continues, including recently developed vaccines to protect 

against human papillomavirus, the main cause of cervical 

cancer in women, as well as dengue, and a vaccine currently being tested against malaria; 

Whereas the world is on the brink of eradicating polio, with 

only 33 reported wild cases in 2018; 

Whereas the world is at a critical time in which misinformation about vaccines has led to the resurgence of measles 

in the United States and around the world; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 592 IH 

Whereas, as of September 19, 2019, the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention has reported that measles cases 

in the United States have climbed to 1,241 in 2019; 

Whereas experts warn that if cases of measles continue to 

climb through the fall of 2019, the United States may no 

longer be deemed to have ‘‘eliminated’’ measles; and 

Whereas the scientific research and the experience of the 

medical community overwhelmingly demonstrate that vaccines are both safe and effective: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends the past and current work of sci3 entists who have spent their careers developing vac4 cines and transforming the modern world, as well as 

5 the tireless work of the public health community to 

6 educate communities about the lifesaving benefits of 

7 vaccination; 

8 (2) affirms the importance of vaccines to pre9 vent disease and save lives and the importance of 

10 herd immunity to protect those who are too young 

11 or too sick to be vaccinated; 

12 (3) recognizes that vaccine hesitancy and lack 

13 of access to vaccines are ongoing threats to the pub14 lic health successes achieved to date; 

15 (4) encourages the public to seek out trusted 

16 sources to learn more about vaccines, such as a pedi17 atrician or other clinician, the Centers for Disease 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 592 IH 

1 Control and Prevention, or the World Health Orga2 nization; 

3 (5) commends the National Science Foundation 

4 and the National Institutes of Health for their crit5 ical support of vaccine research and development; 

6 and 

7 (6) urges Congress to provide robust funding 

8 for vaccine research and education efforts. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS