[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.

                          ____________________