WHEREAS, Vaccines have aided in reducing the burden of widespread and often fatal diseases, enabling individuals to lead longer and healthier lives while reducing health care costs; and
WHEREAS, Vaccine-preventable diseases cause 1.5 million deaths among children worldwide each year; and
WHEREAS, Vaccine-preventable diseases cause 50,000 deaths among adults in the United States each year; and
WHEREAS, Although much attention has been paid to the importance of childhood vaccinations, there is a general lack of awareness of adult-recommended vaccines, and a misperception that immunizations are unnecessary for healthy adults; and
WHEREAS, Pneumonia and influenza are the fifth leading cause of death among adults 65 years of age or older, but fewer than 75 percent of those persons are appropriately vaccinated in the state of California; and
WHEREAS, The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) develops recommendations on how to use vaccines to control disease in the United States, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets and periodically updates the United States immunization schedule based on recommendations from the ACIP; and
WHEREAS, For example, the CDC and the ACIP recommend that healthy adults 50 years of age and older be vaccinated against shingles to prevent singles and shingles-related complications; and
WHEREAS, As an illustration, despite the recommendations of CDC officials and other experts that all healthy adults be vaccinated against shingles, as of 2015 only 30 percent of eligible adults had received the shingles vaccine nationally; and
WHEREAS, The CDC has consistently seen adult vaccination compliance fall below targets, and aims to increase compliance for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in adults as part of its Healthy People 2020 goals; and
WHEREAS, The annual economic burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in American adults is estimated to be between $4.7 billion and $15.2 billion; and
WHEREAS, The Institute of Medicine has stated that one of the six causes of excess costs in the United States health care system is missed prevention opportunities; and
WHEREAS, August is an ideal month for California children and youth to receive immunizations required for elementary and secondary school entrance and elevation, as well as being strongly recommended for students in postsecondary education settings, and for adult parents, guardians and family members in concert with this preparation; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate recognizes the month of August 2018 as National Immunization Awareness Month in California to increase public awareness of the importance of all Californians receiving recommended immunizations, and to promote outreach and education efforts concerning vaccination; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges the people of California, their state and local public health agencies, and health care practitioners to mark and actively engage in National Immunization Awareness Month in California by, among other activities, discussing the ACIP-recommended immunizations and promoting appropriate programs and initiatives to raise public awareness of the importance of vaccination; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.