CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS

 WHEREAS, the incidence of some preventable childhood diseases has risen dramatically in recent years. A case in point is measles. Reported cases of measles in 1989 increased 423 percent from 1988 figures with 41 measles-associated deaths reported in that year. The incidence of measles continues to climb; and

WHEREAS, the outbreak of many childhood diseases occurs among unvaccinated children in large urban areas; and

WHEREAS, large numbers of children go unvaccinated because of critical gaps in health care and/or lack of access to health care; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has failed to guarantee the availability of measles vaccine to large community clinics; and

WHEREAS, large numbers of recently arrived immigrant children are at high risk of hepatitis B:

RESOLVED, that the Congress appropriate adequate funding to guarantee that all children be vaccinated according to the latest guidelines of the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP); and

RESOLVED, that the federal government through the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration ensure that adequate supplies of vaccine be available at all times; and

RESOLVED, that during outbreaks, unimmunized employees of schools, public institutions and health care facilities be offered voluntary screening and immunization programs.