IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 313 
Designating April 24, 2019, as ‘‘Meningitis B Awareness Day’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2019 
Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself, Miss RICE of New York, and Mr. KING of New 
York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Designating April 24, 2019, as ‘‘Meningitis B Awareness 
Day’’. 
Whereas it is the custom of the House of Representatives 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 diagnosing 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 
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(2) blood infections known as ‘‘sepsis’’; 
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 dis-
ease, 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 per-
son 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 dis-
ease; 
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 incidence has steadily declined since 1995 (1.20 
cases/100,000 persons) to a historic low of 0.11 cases/ 
100,000 persons 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, stu-
dents 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 dis-
ease among individuals ages 15 to 22 in the United 
States; 
Whereas vaccination for serogroups A, C, W, and Y is rou-
tinely recommended by the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention; 
Whereas the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rec-
ommends 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 physi-
cians who do not regularly discuss the MenB vaccine dur-
ing routine visits with individuals ages 16 to 18; 
Whereas meningitis vaccines are covered by public and pri-
vate health insurance plans, and individuals should be en-
couraged 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 insur-
ance or whose health insurance does not cover those vac-
cines; and 
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(2) children less than 19 years of age who are Amer-
ican 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 men-
ingitis 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 en-
sure 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 sopho-
more at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 
tragically contracted bacterial meningitis before menin-
gitis 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 vac-
cines 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 pro-
viders should learn about all strains of meningococcal dis-
ease 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘Meningitis B 
Awareness Day’’; and 
(2) encourages— 
(A) all individuals to contact health insur-
ance plans to determine coverage of MenACWY 
and MenB vaccines; and 
(B) students, parents, educators, and 
health care providers to learn about all strains 
of meningococcal disease and how to protect 
against all strains of the disease. 
Æ 
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