,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #egbi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #cj1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,larsen of ,washington 7for   
himself1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 and ,mr4       
,carson of ,indiana7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health
 ,service ,act to authorize grants for  
increasing seasonal influenza           
vaccination rates1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,protecting         
,americans from ,seasonal ,influenza    
,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,grants for         
increasing seasonal influenza           
vaccination rates ,the ,public ,health  
,service ,act is amended by inserting   
after section #cag,t of such ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;b-#bb7 the following new 
section3  #cag,u4 ,grants for increasing
 seasonal influenza vaccination rates   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 acting 
through the ,director of the ,centers   

for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1  
shall award grants to ,state health     
agencies to implement programs to       
increase seasonal influenza vaccination 
rates4  7b7 ,number of grants ,subject  
to the availability of appropriations1  
the ,secretary shall award no fewer than
 five and not more than #bj grants under
 this section4  7c7 ,eligibility ,a     
,state health agency is eligible to     
receive a grant under this section only 
if the average seasonal influenza       
vaccination rates in the ,state involved
 for the last three influenza seasons-- 
7#a7 are below the rates recommended by 
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention as part of the ,healthy     
,people #bjbj initiative2 or  7#b7      
otherwise fail to meet any subsequent   
goal for influenza vaccination          
established by the ,director of the     
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention4  7d7 ,elements ,as a       
condition on receipt of a grant under   
this section to implement programs      

intended to increase seasonal influenza 
vaccination rates1 a ,state health      
agency shall agree to include in the    
program at least one of the following   
elements3  7#a7 ,increasing outreach to 
vulnerable populations1 including       
pregnant and nursing mothers1 the       
elderly1 immunocompromised individuals1 
and young children4  7#b7 ,increasing   
outreach to populations most likely to  
be exposed to influenza1 including      
health professionals and college        
students4  7#c7 ,encouraging            
employer-based vaccination programs4    
7#d7 ,coordinating between health care  
providers and insurers to reduce the    
out-of-pocket costs of vaccinations4    
7#e7 ,conducting a public awareness     
campaign on the burden of seasonal      
influenza4  7#f7 ,any other element     
determined by the ,director of the      
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention to reduce infections1       
hospitalizations1 or fatalities         
associated with1 or the economic burden 

of1 seasonal influenza4  7e7            
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this section1 there is        
authorized to be appropriated           
#aj1jjj1jjj for the period of fiscal    
years #bjba through #bjbc4  4