[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 149 (Thursday, November 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S12693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 304--TO DESIGNATE THE PERIOD BEGINNING ON NOVEMBER 1, 
   2005 AND ENDING ON OCTOBER 31, 2006 AS THE YEAR OF POLIO EDUCATION

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Corzine) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 304

       Whereas 2005 is the 50th anniversary of the injectable 
     polio vaccine;
       Whereas the polio vaccines eliminated naturally occurring 
     polio cases in the United States but have not yet eliminated 
     polio in other parts of the world;
       Whereas as few as 57 percent of American children receive 
     all doses of necessary vaccines during childhood, including 
     the polio vaccine;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     recommends that every child in the United States receive all 
     doses of the inactivated polio vaccine;
       Whereas the success of the polio vaccines has caused people 
     to forget the 1,630,000 Americans born before the development 
     of the vaccines who had polio during the epidemics in the 
     middle of the 20th century;
       Whereas at least 70 percent of paralytic polio survivors 
     and 40 percent of nonparalytic polio survivors are developing 
     post-polio sequelae, which are unexpected and often disabling 
     symptoms that occur about 35 years after the poliovirus 
     attack, including overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, 
     muscle and joint pain, sleep disorders, heightened 
     sensitivity to anesthesia, cold pain, and difficulty 
     swallowing and breathing;
       Whereas 2005 is the 131st anniversary of the diagnosis of 
     the first case of post-polio sequelae and is the 21st 
     anniversary of the creation of the International Post-Polio 
     Task Force;
       Whereas research and clinical work by members of the 
     International Post-Polio Task Force have discovered that 
     post-polio sequelae can be treated, and even prevented, if 
     polio survivors are taught to conserve energy and use 
     assistive devices to stop damaging and killing the reduced 
     number of overworked, poliovirus-damaged neurons in the 
     spinal cord and brain that survived the polio attack;
       Whereas many medical professionals, and polio survivors, do 
     not know of the existence of post-polio sequelae, or of the 
     available treatments; and
       Whereas the mission of the International Post-Polio Task 
     Force includes educating medical professionals and the 
     world's 20,000,000 polio survivors about post-polio sequelae 
     through the international Post-Polio Letter Campaign, The 
     Post-Polio Institute at New Jersey's Englewood Hospital and 
     Medical Center, the publication of The Polio Paradox, and the 
     television public service announcement provided by the 
     National Broadcasting Company: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the need for every child, in America and 
     throughout the world, to be vaccinated against polio;
       (2) recognizes the 1,630,000 Americans who survived polio, 
     their new battle with post-polio sequelae, and the need for 
     education and appropriate medical care;
       (3) requests that every State designate the period 
     beginning on November 1, 2005 and ending on October 31, 2006 
     as the ``Year of Polio Education'' to promote vaccination and 
     post-polio sequelae education and treatment; and
       (4) requests that all appropriate Federal departments and 
     agencies take immediate action to educate--
       (A) the people of the United States about the need for 
     polio vaccination; and
       (B) polio survivors and medical professionals in the United 
     States about the cause and treatment of post-polio sequelae.

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to submit 
a resolution to designate November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006 as the 
Year of Polio Education.
  During the 1940s and the early 1950s, between 30,000 and 50,000 cases 
of polio were recorded annually in the United States, causing 
widespread fear and panic. I recall as a youngster attending a public 
swimming pool in Wichita, KS, and wondering if going to the swimming 
pool would cause polio.
  Polio is a viral illness that leads to paralysis. The polio virus 
damages nerves that control muscles, which results in muscle weakness. 
In severe cases of polio, a person may lose the ability to move their 
arms and legs, the ability to breathe without help, or die.
  President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the most famous symbol of how 
physically debilitating polio can be. Yet despite the paralysis of his 
legs, he was a magnificent President and a great leader of the United 
States during the Depression and World War II.
  This year, 2005, marks the 50th anniversary of the successful 
nationwide trial to administer the injectable polio vaccine to 
children. While the invention of injectable polio vaccines eliminated 
naturally occurring polio cases in the United States, some American 
children did not receive the polio vaccine necessary to protect them. 
On September 29, 2005, the first of four children from a rural 
Minnesota Amish community was diagnosed with polio. While none of the 
four have suffered paralytic symptoms, the occurrence underscores the 
need for vaccinations.
  The need for continued diligence to protect this country's youth from 
polio and other illnesses is critical. As chairman of the Labor, Health 
and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies--LHHS--
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked to provide $101.25 million 
in the fiscal year 2006 Senate LHHS Appropriations bill for global 
polio eradication, an increase of $500,000 since 2005. These funds 
provide polio vaccinations internationally in locations where naturally 
occurring polio has not been eradicated. Further, I have supported 
$461.5 million for the vaccine for children program as part of the 
fiscal year 2006 Senate LHHS Appropriations bill, an increase of $41 
million since 2005. This program helps families of children who may not 
otherwise have access to vaccines by providing free vaccines to doctors 
who serve them.
  This year is also the 131st anniversary of the first diagnosed case 
of post-polio sequelae. Post-polio sequelae is a condition that may 
develop several decades after a person has had polio, which affects the 
muscles and nerves, causing weakness, fatigue, pain, and other 
symptoms. Approximately 70 percent of paralytic polio survivors and 40 
percent non-paralytic polio survivors, develop this illness.
  The need for continued polio and polio vaccinations education are 
important to the health of all Americans, especially children. I 
encourage my colleagues to work with Senator Corzine and me to move 
this legislation forward promptly.

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