[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2509-S2510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VACCINES
Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy
of my opening statement at the Senate Health Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Vaccines Save Lives
Mr. ALEXANDER. The Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions will please come to order.
Senator Murray and I will each have an opening statement,
and then we will introduce the witnesses. After the
witnesses' testimony, senators will each have 5 minutes of
questions.
It was not that long ago that, as a boy, I remember the
terror in the hearts of parents that their children might
contract polio and my classmates in iron lungs.
The Majority Leader, Senator McConnell, contracted polio
when he was young. His mother took him to Warm Springs,
because that is where President Roosevelt received treatment
for polio. Fortunately, because of her dedication, Leader
McConnell is able to walk today, but thousands of others were
not as lucky.
Following the introduction of a vaccine in 1955, polio was
eliminated in the United States in 1979, and since then, from
every country in the world except for three. Polio is just
one of the diseases we have eradicated in the United States
thanks to vaccines.
Before the vaccine for measles was developed, up to four
million Americans each year contracted the highly contagious,
airborne virus.
In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) declared measles eliminated from the United States. And
in 1980, smallpox was declared eradicated from the world by
the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO).
This is a remarkable demonstration of modern medicine.
Four years ago, this Committee held a hearing on vaccines,
following the 2014 outbreak of measles--the worst outbreak
since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
And even though 91.1 percent of Americans had been
vaccinated for measles in 2017, according to the CDC, we
continue to see outbreaks of this preventable disease because
there are pockets in the United States that have low
vaccination rates.
Last year, there were 372 cases of measles--the second
highest number since 2000. And so far this year, there have
been 159 cases reported and outbreaks confirmed in Washington
State, New York, Texas, and Illinois.
We know that some Americans are hesitant about vaccines, so
today I want to stress the importance of vaccines: not only
has the Food and Drug Administration found them to be safe,
but vaccines also save lives.
Vaccines have been so successful that, until recently,
Americans have lived without fear of getting measles, polio,
or rubella. We have made significant strides in improving
vaccination rates.
In 2009, about 44 percent of Americans had received
vaccines for seven preventable diseases: Diphtheria],
Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella,
Haemophilus influenza type b, Hepatitis B, Chickenpox, and
Pneumococcal, according to the CDC.
Today, over 70 percent of Americans are vaccinated against
all seven of these diseases.
Vaccines protect not only those who have been vaccinated,
but the larger community. This is called herd immunity.
There are some people who cannot be vaccinated--they are
too young, or have a weak immune system because of a genetic
disorder or are taking medicine that compromises their immune
system, like cancer treatment.
Vaccines protect those who cannot be vaccinated by
preventing the spread of diseases. However, low immunization
rates can destroy a community's herd immunity.
While the overall vaccination rate nationwide is high
enough to create this herd immunity, certain areas--the
pockets of the country where vaccination rates are low--are
vulnerable to outbreaks. There is a lot of misleading and
incorrect information about vaccines that circulates online,
including through social media.
Here is what I want parents in Tennessee, in Washington, in
Texas, everywhere in our country to know: Vaccines are
approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and meet the
FDA's gold standard of safety. The Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices makes recommendations on the use of
vaccines in the United States and annual child and adult
vaccine schedules. This Advisory Committee is made up of
medical doctors and public health professionals from medical
schools, hospitals, and professional medical organizations
from around the country. They are among the best our country
has to offer and they have dedicated their lives to helping
others. These recommendations are reviewed and approved by
the CDC director, and are available on the CDC's website.
There is nothing secret about any of this science.
Countless studies have been done to show that vaccines are
safe. Charlatans and internet fraudsters who claim that
vaccines aren't safe are preying on the unfounded fears and
daily struggles of parents, and they are creating a public
health hazard that is entirely preventable.
It is important for those who have questions about
vaccines, especially parents, to speak with a reputable
health care provider. As with many topics, just because you
found it on the internet doesn't make it true.
The science is sound: Vaccines save lives--the lives of
those who receive vaccines and the lives of those who are too
young or vulnerable to be immunized.
Before I turn this over to Senator Murray, I want to add
that the National Childhood
[[Page S2510]]
Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 required the Department of Health
and Human Services to submit a report to Congress within 2
years after the legislation was signed into law.
The HELP Committee has two reports from the Department
submitted to Congress dated May 4, 1988, and July 21, 1989.
I would like to ask for unanimous consent that the reports
be submitted into the committee record so that they can be
more accessible to the public.
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