[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 159 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 159
Designating April 24, 2019, as ``Meningitis B Awareness Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 11, 2019
Mr. Peters (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating April 24, 2019, as ``Meningitis B Awareness Day''.
Whereas it is the custom of the Senate to increase awareness of serious
illnesses that affect the lives of the people of the United States;
Whereas meningococcal disease, more commonly referred to as ``bacterial
meningitis'', is any infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria
meningitidis;
Whereas meningococcal disease is uncommon, and the flu-like symptoms of the
disease make diagnosis difficult;
Whereas meningococcal disease can cause serious illnesses, such as--
(1) an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal column known as
``meningitis''; and
(2) blood infections known as ``sepsis'';
Whereas the disease strikes quickly and may lead to severe or permanent
disabilities, such as hearing loss, brain damage, seizures, and limb
amputation, and may even lead to death within 24 to 48 hours;
Whereas, although 1 in 10 people are carriers of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria
with no signs or symptoms of disease, Neisseria meningitidis bacteria
may sometimes cause illnesses;
Whereas there are different strains of meningococcal disease, including strains
caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W, Y, and B;
Whereas vaccines exist to help provide protection against all strains of
meningococcal disease caused by the serogroups common in the United
States;
Whereas meningococcal disease is spread from person to person via the exchange
of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria through respiratory and throat
secretions during close or lengthy contact, including contact such as--
(1) sharing beverages or eating utensils;
(2) kissing; and
(3) spending time in close contact with someone who is sick or who
carries the bacteria;
Whereas community settings in which large groups of people gather, such as
college campuses, may increase the risk of transmission of meningococcal
disease;
Whereas, because of the way meningococcal disease is spread through close
personal contact, the social behavior of young adults ages 16 to 23
increases the risk of those adults contracting the disease;
Whereas students in dormitory settings and at crowded events are particularly
vulnerable to meningococcal disease;
Whereas college students ages 18 to 24 were found to be 3.5 times more likely to
contract meningitis B, the strain of meningococcal disease caused by
serogroup B, compared to their peers not in school;
Whereas the single best way to help prevent all common strains of meningococcal
disease is to be vaccinated with--
(1) a MenACWY vaccine to protect against the strains of meningococcal
disease caused by serogroups A, C, W, and Y; and
(2) a separate MenB vaccine to protect against the strain of
meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B;
Whereas the incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States has steadily
declined from 1.20 cases per 100,000 individuals in 1995 to a historic
low of 0.11 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2017;
Whereas, although vaccines for serogroups A, C, W, and Y have been available for
many years, a vaccine for serogroup B was not available until 2014;
Whereas, despite the existence of a vaccine for serogroup B since 2014,
meningitis B has been responsible for all United States college campus
outbreaks since 2011, with some cases resulting in death;
Whereas, because the strain of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B
requires a new, separate vaccination, students heading to college may
mistakenly think that, if they received the MenACWY vaccine, they are
protected against all strains of the disease, and may not realize that
they are not protected against the strain caused by serogroup B;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Neisseria
meningitidis serogroup B accounts for approximately half of all cases of
meningococcal disease among individuals ages 15 to 22 in the United
States;
Whereas vaccination for serogroups A, C, W, and Y is routinely recommended by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
Whereas the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommends that decisions to vaccinate
adolescents and young adults ages 16 to 23 against the strain of
meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B should be made at the
individual level with health care providers;
Whereas a recent study found that many doctors are not talking to patients about
the MenB vaccine, including 49 percent of pediatricians and 69 percent
of family physicians who do not regularly discuss the MenB vaccine
during routine visits with individuals ages 16 to 18;
Whereas meningitis vaccines are covered by public and private health insurance
plans, and individuals should be encouraged to contact health insurance
plans to determine coverage of MenACWY and MenB vaccines;
Whereas the Federal Vaccines for Children program covers both MenACWY and MenB
vaccines for--
(1) children and adults who have no health insurance or whose health
insurance does not cover those vaccines; and
(2) children less than 19 years of age who are American Indian, Alaska
Native, or eligible for Medicaid or other State health plan coverage;
Whereas, in 2012, before meningitis B vaccines were available in the United
States, Kimberly Coffey, a 17-year-old high school senior on Long
Island, New York, died from meningitis B;
Whereas Patti Wukovits, R.N., the mother of Kimberly Coffey, created the
Kimberly Coffey Foundation, a vital organization with the mission of--
(1) providing education to the public and health care professionals
about meningococcal disease; and
(2) advocating for two types of vaccination for meningococcal disease;
Whereas the goal of the Kimberly Coffey Foundation is to ensure that no other
family will endure the loss of a child or have a loved one experience
the devastating effects of meningococcal disease;
Whereas June 15, 2019, marks the seventh anniversary of the death of Kimberly
Coffey;
Whereas 19-year-old Emily Nicole Stillman, while a sophomore at Kalamazoo
College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, tragically contracted bacterial
meningitis before meningitis B vaccines were available in the United
States;
Whereas, on February 2, 2013, after just 36 hours in the hospital, Emily Nicole
Stillman passed away;
Whereas, in 2014, Alicia Stillman, the mother of Emily Nicole Stillman, created
the Emily Stillman Foundation--
(1) to preserve the memory of Emily Nicole Stillman;
(2) to advocate for organ and tissue donation; and
(3) to advocate for the increased availability of vaccines for all
vaccine-preventable diseases, including the increased availability of
meningitis vaccines for children;
Whereas February 2019 marked the sixth anniversary of the death of Emily
Stillman;
Whereas the Meningitis B Action Project, a joint initiative of the Kimberly
Coffey Foundation and the Emily Stillman Foundation, is committed to
raising awareness about meningococcal disease throughout the United
States;
Whereas students, parents, educators, and health care providers should learn
about all strains of meningococcal disease and how to protect against
all strains of the disease; and
Whereas April 24, 2019, should be designated as ``Meningitis B Awareness Day''
to coincide with the observance of World Meningitis Day: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates April 24, 2019, as ``Meningitis B Awareness
Day''; and
(2) encourages--
(A) all individuals to contact health insurance
plans to determine coverage of MenACWY and MenB
vaccines; and
(B) students, parents, educators, and health care
providers to learn about all strains of meningococcal
disease and how to protect against all strains of the
disease.
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