[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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