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. BLU-
MENAUER, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mrs. BUSTOS, 
Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. CHU of Cali-
fornia, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CON-
YERS, 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. LOF-
GREN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mex-
ico, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, 
Mr. MCHENRY, Ms. MENG, Ms. MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLI-
TANO, 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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RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance of vaccinations and 
immunizations in the United States. 
Whereas the contributions of Louis Pasteur and Edward Jen-
ner 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 esti-
mated 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 dis-
eases such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and 
rubella, and vaccines prevent the spread of commonly in-
fectious and potentially fatal diseases such as chickenpox, 
shingles, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococ-
cal disease, pneumococcal, rotavirus, and whooping cough 
(pertussis); 
Whereas the scientific and medical communities are in over-
whelming 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 immuni-
zation are fundamental for a well-informed public; 
Whereas an estimated 43,000 adults and 300 children die an-
nually from vaccine-preventable diseases or their com-
plications in the United States, and the health and liveli-
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hood of young children, seniors, individuals with immuno-
deficiency disorders, and those who cannot be vaccinated, 
is particularly compromised by communities with low vac-
cination 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 immu-
nized 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 vac-
cines 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 con-
tagious diseases where they start; 
Whereas encouraging high vaccination rates in the United 
States protects our citizens from contracting vaccine-pre-
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ventable diseases that are pandemic in countries with low 
vaccination and immunization rates; 
Whereas routine and up-to-date immunization is the most ef-
fective 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) commends the international community, 
global and domestic health organizations, the private 
sector, school and community leaders, and faith- 
based organizations for their tireless work and im-
mense contributions to bolstering our global and do-
mestic health through vaccination; 
(2) affirms vaccines and immunizations save 
lives and are essential to maintain the public health, 
economic and national security of the people of the 
United States; 
(3) recognizes that the lack of vaccination can 
cause a true public health crisis, and that there is 
no credible evidence to show that vaccines cause life- 
threatening or disabling diseases in healthy children 
or adults; 
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(4) encourages a continued commitment to re-
search to improve vaccines and to develop new vac-
cines against other infectious and fatal diseases; and 
(5) urges parents, in consultation with their 
health care provider, to follow the scientific evidence 
and consensus of medical experts in favor of timely 
vaccinations to protect their children and their com-
munity. 
Æ 
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