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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 10, 2014 03:28 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Michael H. Schlossberg |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | World Immunization Awareness Week in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation recognizing the week of May 24 through 30, 2014 as “World Immunization Awareness Week” in Pennsylvania. Vaccines are among the 20th century’s most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. They prevent between 2 and 3 million deaths every year and now protect children not only against diseases for which vaccines have been available for many years, such as diphtheria, tetanus, polio and measles, but also against diseases such as pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhea, two of the biggest global killers of children under 5. Furthermore, adolescents and adults can now be protected against life-threatening diseases such as influenza, meningitis, and cancers (cervical and liver cancers), thanks to new and sophisticated vaccines. Despite these facts, worldwide, infectious diseases are the leading cause of death of children and adolescents, and one of the leading causes in adults. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16 million deaths a year could be prevented if effective vaccines were deployed against all potentially vaccine-preventable diseases. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services 50,000 to 70,000 adults die annually in the United States from vaccine-preventable disease. In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of immunization around the world, several global organizations have joined together and declared the week of May 24 through 30 as World Immunization Week, in which countries across the globe mobilize for a week of vaccination campaigns and public education about the value of immunization. Please join me in recognizing the week of May 24 through 30, 2014 as “World Immunization Awareness Week” in Pennsylvania by co-sponsoring this resolution as we continue to support the efforts, programs, services, and organizations that work across the globe to enhance public awareness of the importance of immunization |
Introduced as HR803