,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #afe ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #aa1 #bjai,ms4 ,duckworth 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,alexander1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,recognizing the importance of vaccinations and immunizations in the ,united ,states4 ,whereas the contributions of ,louis ,pasteur and ,edward ,jenner to the discovery of the principles of vaccinology are among the most consequential health findings in human history2 ,whereas a vaccine made possible the eradication of smallpox1 saving millions of lives2 ,whereas1 because of the vaccine for polio1 a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus1 the international community-- 7#a7 has eliminated polio in all but #c countries2 and 7#b7 has saved an estimated #ae1jjj ,americans from paralysis annually2 ,whereas vaccines have dramatically reduced the spread of debilitating and potentially life-threatening diseases1 including-- 7#a7 diphtheria2 7#b7 tetanus2 7#c7 measles2 7#d7 mumps2 and 7#e7 rubella2 ,whereas vaccines have prevented the spread of infectious and potentially fatal diseases1 including-- 7#a7 chickenpox2 7#b7 shingles2 7#c7 influenza2 7#d7 hepatitis ,a2 7#e7 hepatitis ,b2 7#f7 meningococcal disease2 7#g7 pneumococcal disease2 7#h7 rotavirus2 7#i7 pertussis 7also known as whooping cough72 and 7#aj7 meningitis2 ,whereas the vaccine-preventable human papillomavirus 7also known as ,,hpv7 is known to cause certain types of cancer2 ,whereas the scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are effective and safe2 ,whereas misinformation about vaccine safety and the dissemination of unfounded and debunked theories about the dangers of vaccinations pose a great risk to public health2 ,whereas scientifically sound education and outreach campaigns about the importance of vaccination and immunization are fundamental for a well-informed public2 ,whereas communities with low vaccination rates compromise1 in a particular way1 the health and livelihood of-- 7#a7 infants2 7#b7 young children2 7#c7 seniors2 7#d7 individuals with immunodeficiency disorders2 and 7#e7 individuals with weakened or compromised immune systems1 including individuals taking medication that affects the immune system1 such as medications to treat cancer2 ,whereas substantial research has shown that vaccination is a highly cost-effective form of preventive medicine2 ,whereas the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention 7referred to in this preamble as the ,,cdc7 estimates that1 between #aiid and #bjac1 vaccinations saved nearly #bie1jjj1jjj1jjj in direct costs and #a1chj1jjj1jjj1jjj in total societal costs in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas vaccines in the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 undergo extensive safety and efficacy testing before licensure by the ,food and ,drug ,administration2 and 7#b7 are continually monitored for adverse events2 ,whereas there are #d post-marketing surveillance systems in the ,united ,states tracking adverse events after vaccination2 ,whereas the ,,cdc estimates that-- 7#a7 vaccinations will prevent more than #ba1jjj1jjj hospitalizations and #gcb1jjj deaths among children born between #aiid and #bjac2 and 7#b7 vaccines save the lives of an estimated #b1ejj1jjj children under age #e each year2 ,whereas #a in #e children worldwide lack access to common vaccines and1 as a result1 an estimated #a1ejj1jjj people die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases or complications of vaccine-preventable diseases1 such as diarrhea and pneumonia2 ,whereas strong investments in biomedical research to improve existing vaccines and develop many more life-saving vaccines are beneficial to all people2 ,whereas a robust immunization infrastructure1 by preventing and isolating outbreaks of infectious diseases at the source1 is essential to the public health and well-being of the people of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas each ,state determines the vaccination requirements for the people of that ,state2 ,whereas ,state vaccination requirements are informed by recommendations approved by the ,,cdc and developed by the ,advisory ,committee on ,immunization ,practices2 ,whereas encouraging high vaccination rates and promoting vaccine confidence in the ,united ,states protects the people of the ,united ,states from contracting and spreading vaccine-preventable diseases2 ,whereas the ,world ,health ,organization 7referred to in this preamble as the ,,who7 recently identified vaccine hesitancy as a health threat for #bjai2 ,whereas addressing the many factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy is crucial to increasing vaccination rates and improving or achieving herd immunity2 ,whereas routine and up-to-date vaccination is the most effective method available to prevent the transmission of potentially fatal infectious diseases2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states has been a leader in promoting vaccinations around the world through-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development2 7#b7 the ,,cdc2 7#c7 ,gavi1 the ,vaccine ,alliance2 7#d7 the ,global ,polio ,eradication ,initiative2 7#e7 the ,united ,nations ,international ,children's ,emergency ,fund 7commonly known as ,,unicef72 7#f7 the ,,who2 and 7#g7 many other multilateral and nongovernmental organizations3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 commends the international community1 global and domestic health organizations1 the private sector1 school and community leaders1 and faith-based organizations for their tireless work and immense contributions to bolstering global and domestic health through vaccination2 7#b7 affirms that vaccines and immunizations save lives and are essential to maintain-- 7,a7 the public health2 and 7,b7 the economic and national security of the ,united ,states2 7#c7 recognizes that-- 7,a7 low vaccination rates or the lack of vaccination can create an environment in which a public health crisis could emerge2 7,b7 vaccines-- 7i7 are approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration 7referred to in this resolving clause as the ,,fda7 as safe and effective2 and 7ii7 meet the gold standard of safety established by the ,,fda2 and 7,c7 the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention advises medical providers and parents in the ,united ,states that the benefits of currently recommended vaccines greatly outweigh the risks of those vaccines2 7#d7 encourages a continued commitment to biomedical research-- 7,a7 to improve vaccines2 and 7,b7 to develop new vaccines against other infectious and fatal diseases2 and 7#e7 urges all people1 in consultation with their health care providers1 to follow the scientific evidence and consensus of medical experts in favor of timely vaccinations to protect-- 7,a7 the individual vaccinated2 and 7,b7 the children1 family1 and community of the individual vaccinated4