IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 526 
Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the Year of Polio Awareness. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2005 
Mr. ROTHMAN (for himself, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. 
CASE, and Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the Year of 
Polio Awareness. 
Whereas 2005 is the 50th anniversary of the injectable killed 
polio vaccine; 
Whereas the polio vaccines eliminated naturally occurring 
polio cases in the United States but have not yet elimi-
nated polio in other parts of the world; 
Whereas as few as 57 percent of American children receive 
all doses of necessary vaccines during childhood, includ-
ing the polio vaccine; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rec-
ommends that every child in the United States receive all 
doses of the inactivated polio vaccine;
•HRES 526 IH 
Whereas the success of the polio vaccines has caused people 
to forget the 1,630,000 Americans born before the devel-
opment of the vaccines who had polio during the 
epidemics in the middle of the 20th century; 
Whereas at least 70 percent of paralytic polio survivors and 
40 percent of nonparalytic polio survivors are developing 
post-polio sequelae, which are unexpected and often dis-
abling symptoms that occur about 35 years after the po-
liovirus attack, including overwhelming fatigue, muscle 
weakness, muscle and joint pain, sleep disorders, height-
ened sensitivity to anesthesia, cold pain, and difficulty 
swallowing and breathing; 
Whereas 2005 is the 131st anniversary of the diagnosis of 
the first case of post-polio sequelae and is the 21st anni-
versary of the creation of the International Post-Polio 
Task Force; 
Whereas research and clinical work by members of the Inter-
national Post-Polio Task Force have discovered that 
post-polio sequelae can be treated, and even prevented, if 
polio survivors are taught to conserve energy and use as-
sistive devices to stop damaging and killing the reduced 
number of overworked, poliovirus-damaged neurons in the 
spinal cord and brain that survived the polio attack; 
Whereas many medical professionals, and polio survivors, do 
not know of the existence of post-polio sequelae, or of the 
available treatments; 
Whereas the mission of the International Post-Polio Task 
Force includes educating medical professionals and the 
world’s 20,000,000 polio survivors about post-polio 
sequelae through the international Post-Polio Letter 
Campaign, The Post-Polio Institute at New Jersey’s En-
•HRES 526 IH 
glewood Hospital and Medical Center, the publication of 
The Polio Paradox, and the television public service an-
nouncement provided by the National Broadcasting Com-
pany; and 
Whereas it would be appropriate to observe the year begin-
ning November 1, 2005, as the Year of Polio Awareness: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the need for every child, in 
America and throughout the world, to be vaccinated 
against polio; 
(2) recognizes the 1,630,000 Americans who 
survived polio, their new battle with post-polio 
sequelae, and the need for education and appropriate 
medical care; 
(3) requests that all appropriate Federal de-
partments and agencies take immediate action to 
educate— 
(A) the people of the United States about 
the need for polio vaccination; and 
(B) polio survivors and medical profes-
sionals in the United States about the cause 
and treatment of post-polio sequelae; and 
(4) supports the goals and ideals of observing 
the Year of Polio Awareness to promote vaccination 
and post-polio sequelae education and treatment. 
Æ