[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 63 (Thursday, April 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 159--DESIGNATING APRIL 24, 2019, AS ``MENINGITIS B 
                            AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 159

       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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