[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 80 (Monday, June 17, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3576-H3578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF MENINGITIS AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 340) supporting the goals and 
ideals of Meningitis Awareness Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 340

       Whereas meningitis is usually caused by a viral or 
     bacterial infection;
       Whereas viral meningitis is generally less severe than 
     bacterial meningitis;
       Whereas bacterial meningitis caused by the meningococcus, 
     Neisseria meningitidis, is one of the most deadly and least 
     understood infections in the United States;
       Whereas in 2000 more than 2,900 people in the United States 
     developed meningococcal disease;
       Whereas the 2 most common types of meningococcal disease 
     are meningitis, an infection of the fluid that surrounds the 
     spinal cord and the brain, the symptoms of which include high 
     fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, lethargy, vomiting, 
     and seizures, and meningococcemia, an infection of the blood 
     stream, the symptoms of which include a red-brown rash or 
     purple blotches;
       Whereas although meningococcal disease can be treated with 
     a number of effective antibiotics, such treatment must begin 
     early in the course of the disease, because the disease can 
     be fatal within hours after the first symptoms appear;
       Whereas individuals who survive meningococcal meningitis 
     can suffer from debilitating effects such as hearing and 
     vision loss, learning difficulties or mental retardation, 
     loss of arms and legs, and paralysis;
       Whereas between 20 percent and 25 percent of all people 
     carry the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease in the 
     back of their noses and throats without developing the 
     disease, but can pass the bacterium to others;
       Whereas the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease can 
     be passed by close contact that involves the exchange of 
     respiratory or throat secretions with someone who is infected 
     or is carrying the bacterium, including coughing, kissing, 
     and sharing items such as cigarettes, lipsticks, foods, 
     drinks, toothbrushes, and mouth guards;
       Whereas meningococcal disease cannot be spread merely by 
     being in the same room with an infected person or by 
     breathing the air where an infected person has been;
       Whereas meningococcal disease usually develops within 1 to 
     14 days after exposure;
       Whereas although the occurrence of meningococcal disease 
     was once highest among children between the ages of 6 months 
     and 36 months, the occurrence of the disease among older 
     children and adolescents has been increasing in recent years, 
     with a number of outbreaks occurring at schools and 
     universities;
       Whereas although a vaccine is currently available which 
     provides protection against 4 of the 5 common strains of 
     meningococcal disease in the United States, vaccinations are 
     rarely administered until after an outbreak occurs;
       Whereas the medical community should be encouraged to make 
     a routine practice of informing adolescent patients and their 
     parents about the option of being vaccinated

[[Page H3577]]

     against this debilitating and often deadly disease; and
       Whereas the Meningitis Awareness Key to prevention (MAK) 
     organization has requested that Congress designate April as 
     Meningitis Awareness Month in order to raise public awareness 
     about meningitis and the availability of effective vaccines 
     against meningococcal disease: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress supports the goals and ideals of 
     Meningitis Awareness Month.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider House 
Concurrent Resolution 340. I want to take this opportunity to commend 
my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Doolittle), for introducing this important measure and also for working 
so hard to bring this resolution before the floor.
  This resolution, which I am pleased to present today on behalf of the 
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization and its chair, 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), expresses the support of the 
House for the goals and ideals of Meningitis Awareness Month.
  Meningitis is a potentially fatal disease and not a lot is known 
about it. In the year 2000, nearly 3,000 Americans contracted 
meningitis, and many of those were newborn. The Meningitis Awareness 
Key to Prevention Organization has asked that April be recognized as 
Meningitis Awareness Month. The purpose of this particular recognition 
is to raise public awareness about meningitis and the availability of 
effective vaccines against the disease.

                              {time}  1500

  Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal 
cord and the brain. The most common forms of meningitis are bacterial 
meningitis and viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is, as the 
resolution points out, one of the most deadly and least understood 
infections in the United States. It is highly contagious and can be 
spread through close contact with others. However, if diagnosed quickly 
and treated promptly, most people make a full recovery. However, 
without proper treatment, bacterial meningitis can be fatal, sometimes 
within hours, or lead to permanent handicaps such as deafness, 
paralysis, or brain damage.
  Historically, most cases of bacterial meningitis occurred among 
children under 3 years of age. In recent years, however, there have 
been a number of meningitis outbreaks at both our schools and 
universities.
  Everyone should be aware of the symptoms of bacterial meningitis, 
particularly in newborns, children, and also in adults. The symptoms 
are fever, a stiff neck, an aching back, and sometimes nausea. Viral 
meningitis is the more common type of meningitis. Although rarely life-
threatening, it can severely weaken a person. Since the symptoms of 
viral meningitis are the same as bacterial meningitis, it is most 
important that individuals seek medical attention quickly, especially 
when symptoms appear.
  Aside from vaccines, there is no way to protect against contracting 
meningitis. There are effective vaccines against certain strains of 
meningitis, but vaccines are rarely administered until after an 
outbreak has occurred. The medical community should be encouraged to 
inform adolescents and parents, particularly those of young people, 
about the option of being vaccinated against this debilitating and 
potentially deadly disease.
  Madam Speaker, I ask all Members to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, approximately 3,000 cases of meningitis occur each 
year in the United States. Ten to thirteen percent of patients die, 
despite receiving antibiotics early in the illness. Of those who 
survive, an additional 10 percent have severe after-effects of the 
disease, including mental retardation, hearing loss, and loss of limbs.
  On September 30, 1997, the American College Health Association, which 
represents about half of the colleges with student health services in 
the United States, released a statement recommending that ``college 
health services take a more proactive role in alerting students and 
their parents about the dangers of meningococcal disease.''
  Studies undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
indicate that freshman college students, particularly those who live in 
dormitories, constitute a group that are at a modestly increased rate 
for meningococcal disease.
  Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and 
the fluid that surrounds the brain. The disease is usually caused by a 
viral or bacterial infection. The bacteria are very common and live 
naturally in the back of the nose and throat.
  They normally spread between people in close and prolonged contact by 
coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing. Children under 5, teenagers, 
young adults, and the elderly are most at risk of contracting the 
disease. However, college students are a key at-risk group because of 
their lifestyle, which includes the close togetherness of student 
accommodations.
  This resolution supporting Meningitis Awareness Month will alert 
college students and those most susceptible to the disease to vaccines 
and immunization efforts that help combat the disease. I urge all 
Members to give this bill their support.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), who is the author of this 
resolution.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Mica), our chairman, supporting this resolution and 
advocating its passage on the floor today. I think he outlined very 
clearly what the threats are, as did the gentlewoman from the District 
of Columbia (Ms. Norton) as well.
  I became really intimately aware of the ravages of this disease when 
a meningitis outbreak hit the Sacramento region in 2000, and then again 
in 2001, killing five high school students, three of whom were my 
constituents. Peter and Rose Kwett, personal friends of mine from 
Carmichael, California, saw their 15-year-old daughter, Mary Jo, taken 
from them as a result of this dreaded disease.
  This year, there have been seven cases reported in my region, 
including the fatality of a sixth-grade girl from Greer Elementary 
School in Sacramento.
  I introduced this resolution really to heighten the awareness of this 
terrible disease which afflicts approximately 2,500 individuals in the 
United States each year. As the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) 
indicated, people can do certain things to protect themselves, 
generally involving what we think of as good hygiene habits. Also, 
there is a vaccine available.
  Last year in my home State of California, the legislature passed a 
resolution designating the month of April as Meningitis Awareness 
Month. The Meningitis Awareness Key to Prevention Organization supports 
this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
  I would like to close by saying it is the goal of this resolution to 
raise public awareness about meningitis, and also the availability of 
the effective vaccines against this potentially debilitating or often 
fatal disease. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Meningitis 
Awareness Key to Prevention Organization for its efforts to educate all 
Americans to recognize the symptoms of this disease and also to urge 
that individuals seek prompt medical attention.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) 
for his leadership on this issue and for bringing this resolution, 
because it is important to bring this debilitating disease and 
information about it before the American public. So I thank him again 
for his work on this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution seeking 
the goals of Meningitis Awareness Month.

[[Page H3578]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, approximately 3,000 cases of 
meningococcal disease occur each year in the United States. Of those 
infected, 10-13 percent die despite receiving early treatments of 
antibiotics for the illness. Those who survive the illness, about 10 
percent, have severe aftereffects of the disease, such as mental 
retardation, hearing loss or loss of limbs.
  Meningitis is one of the least understood infectious diseases 
existing in the United States today. Two forms of meningitis, bacterial 
and viral meningitis, quietly threaten children, and increasingly, 
adolescents. Bacterial meningitis, the deadlier of the two varieties, 
causes an inflammation of the lining that surrounds the brain. 
Approximately 20 percent of the population carries the bacteria in the 
back of the nose or throat without contracting the disease. If, 
however, the bacteria move into the bloodstream, the carrier quickly 
become endangered. Data suggests certain social behaviors such as, 
exposure to passive and active smoking, bar patronage and excessive 
alcohol consumption may increase students' risk for contracting the 
disease. In addition, data also shows that students living in 
dormitories, particularly freshman, are at increased risk.
  Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment and public 
awareness is crucial in order to expedite an accurate and timely 
diagnosis. The vaccines that are available are effective, but are 
rarely administered before there is an outbreak. The recent outbreaks 
in Northern California, and nation-wide, have increasingly occurred on 
high school, college, and university campuses as opposed to occurring 
in infants, which once had the highest occurrence rate.
  As we go on to promote Meningitis Awareness month, we must keep in 
mind that many of the people who suffer from meningitis are seniors. 
The most deadly form of meningitis is casued by bacteria, which must be 
treated immediately with prescription antibiotics. Unfortunately, we 
still have no prescription drug benefit for our medicare population. It 
is ironic, and must be addressed.
  Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 340 and let 
us become more aware of meningitis.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 340.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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