[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3016-S3017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN HELPING SAVE THE LIVES OF
CHILDREN AND PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
WITH VACCINES AND IMMUNIZATION THROUGH GAVI, THE VACCINE ALLIANCE
Mr. GARDNER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the
consideration of Calendar No. 469, S. Res. 511.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 511) supporting the role of the
United States in helping save the lives of children and
protecting the health of people in developing countries with
vaccines and immunization through GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows
Whereas access to vaccines and routine immunizations can
protect children from deadly but preventable diseases, reduce
poverty, and contribute to economic growth by enabling people
to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives;
Whereas investments in the development and deployment of
vaccines and immunizations can also help enhance global
health security by reducing the incidence of deadly and
debilitating diseases and containing the spread of infectious
diseases before they become pandemic health threats;
Whereas, prior to 2000, resources for and access to
vaccines for children in the developing world were declining,
immunization rates were stagnant or decreasing, and nearly
10,000,000 children were dying each year before reaching
their 5th birthday;
Whereas, prior to 2000, it was common for new life-saving
vaccines to take up to 15 years to be introduced in the
world's least developed countries;
Whereas, in 2000, the United States Government joined
forces with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health
Organization, the World Bank, other donor governments, and
representatives of developing countries, faith-based
organizations, civil society, and the private sector,
including the vaccine industry, to create the Global Alliance
for Vaccines and Immunization (now known as GAVI or GAVI, the
Vaccine Alliance), a public-private partnership to expand
access to new and underused vaccines, reduce the incidence of
deadly and debilitating diseases, prevent epidemics, and save
lives;
Whereas GAVI has since supported country-led vaccine
initiatives in 73 countries, enabled immunizations for more
than 760,000,000 of the world's most vulnerable children,
helped avert an estimated 13,000,000 deaths, and contributed
to a 70-percent reduction in the number of deaths due to
vaccine-preventable diseases;
Whereas country ownership and sustainability are at the
core of the GAVI model, which requires each eligible country
to commit their own domestic resources to vaccination and
immunization programs;
Whereas 15 countries have transitioned from GAVI support
and are now self-financing their own vaccination and
immunization programs, 3 more are expected to transition by
the end of 2020, and an additional 10 countries are expected
to transition by 2025 (in total, 40 percent of the original
set of GAVI-eligible countries);
Whereas GAVI has transformed the market for vaccines by
pooling demand from developing countries, securing
predictable financing, expanding the global supplier base,
enhancing the competitiveness and security of supply chains,
and creating efficiencies that are expected to generate an
estimated $900,000,000 in savings between 2021 and 2025;
Whereas, in addition to its current portfolio of vaccines,
GAVI is working to support the roll-out and scale-up of newly
approved vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)
boosters, hepatitis B birth dose, multivalent meningococcal,
respiratory syncytia (RSV), routine oral cholera, and rabies;
Whereas GAVI also collaborates with the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative to bring polio vaccines into routine
immunization programs, strengthen health systems, and
implement additional polio protections;
Whereas GAVI has made significant progress in supporting
the development and stockpiling of an effective vaccine to
combat Ebola;
Whereas GAVI is participating in efforts to test and
implement an effective vaccine to prevent malaria, a disease
that kills more than 270,000 children a year;
Whereas GAVI is already helping countries maintain life-
saving immunization programs in the midst of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic to prevent multiple outbreaks and further
loss of life from vaccine-preventable diseases;
Whereas GAVI also is working to help countries meet the
threat of COVID-19 by providing vital resources, training,
and supplies to help protect health workers and expand access
to diagnostic testing;
Whereas GAVI will play a critical role in helping to
rebuild immunization systems so that once the immediate
crisis is over, catch-up immunization campaigns can begin and
COVID-19 vaccines can be introduced;
Whereas, in April 2020, GAVI joined the Access to COVID-19
Tools Accelerator, a collaboration of global health
organizations aimed at accelerating development, production,
and equitable access to new COVID-19 technologies, serving as
the co-lead of the vaccines work stream within the
initiative;
Whereas, on June 4, 2020, the United Kingdom will host an
online virtual Global Vaccine Summit, GAVI's third
replenishment conference, with an ambitious goal to raise
$7,400,000,000 in new donor commitments;
Whereas, with these additional resources, GAVI plans to
support the immunization of 300,000,000 children against
potentially fatal diseases and save an additional 7,000,000
to 8,000,000 lives between 2021 and 2025; and
Whereas the United States has been a leading supporter of
GAVI since its inception, and its continued commitment will
be essential to the achievement of the alliance's goals for
2021 through 2025: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the work of GAVI and its partners for their
efforts to expand access to vaccines and immunizations for
the most vulnerable men, women, and children in developing
countries;
(2) affirms the continued support of the United States
Government for GAVI as an efficient and effective mechanism
to advance global health security and save lives by--
(A) reducing the incidence of deadly and debilitating
diseases;
(B) leveraging donor, partner country, and private sector
investments in health systems capable of sustainably
delivering vaccines and immunizations; and
(C) reducing the cost of vaccines while promoting supply
chain security and sustainability;
(3) affirms the support of the United States Government for
the goal of securing at least $7,400,000,000 in donor
commitments for GAVI's third replenishment conference, to be
held on June 4, 2020, hosted by the United Kingdom;
(4) urges donor countries and private sector partners to
step up the fight against vaccine-preventable deaths and
increase their pledges for the third replenishment
conference;
(5) urges GAVI partner countries to continue to make and
meet ambitious co-financing commitments to sustain progress
in ending vaccine-preventable deaths; and
(6) encourages the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in cooperation with GAVI, to continue their work
to strengthen public health capacity to introduce and sustain
the use of new and underused vaccines in routine immunization
programs.
Mr. GARDNER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
Mr. GARDNER. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as
amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing no further debate, the question is on agreeing to the
resolution, as amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 511), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. GARDNER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended,
be
[[Page S3017]]
agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and
laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, as amended, was agreed to as
follows:
S. Res. 511
Whereas access to vaccines and routine immunizations can
protect children from deadly but preventable diseases, reduce
poverty, and contribute to economic growth by enabling people
to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives;
Whereas investments in the development and deployment of
vaccines and immunizations can also help enhance global
health security by reducing the incidence of deadly and
debilitating diseases and containing the spread of infectious
diseases before they become pandemic health threats;
Whereas, prior to 2000, resources for and access to
vaccines for children in the developing world were declining,
immunization rates were stagnant or decreasing, and nearly
10,000,000 children were dying each year before reaching
their 5th birthday;
Whereas, prior to 2000, it was common for new life-saving
vaccines to take up to 15 years to be introduced in the
world's least developed countries;
Whereas, in 2000, the United States Government joined
forces with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health
Organization, the World Bank, other donor governments, and
representatives of developing countries, faith-based
organizations, civil society, and the private sector,
including the vaccine industry, to create the Global Alliance
for Vaccines and Immunization (now known as GAVI or GAVI, the
Vaccine Alliance), a public-private partnership to expand
access to new and underused vaccines, reduce the incidence of
deadly and debilitating diseases, prevent epidemics, and save
lives;
Whereas GAVI has since supported country-led vaccine
initiatives in 73 countries, enabled immunizations for more
than 760,000,000 of the world's most vulnerable children,
helped avert an estimated 13,000,000 deaths, and contributed
to a 70-percent reduction in the number of deaths due to
vaccine-preventable diseases;
Whereas country ownership and sustainability are at the
core of the GAVI model, which requires each eligible country
to commit their own domestic resources to vaccination and
immunization programs;
Whereas 15 countries have transitioned from GAVI support
and are now self-financing their own vaccination and
immunization programs, 3 more are expected to transition by
the end of 2020, and an additional 10 countries are expected
to transition by 2025 (in total, 40 percent of the original
set of GAVI-eligible countries);
Whereas GAVI has transformed the market for vaccines by
pooling demand from developing countries, securing
predictable financing, expanding the global supplier base,
enhancing the competitiveness and security of supply chains,
and creating efficiencies that are expected to generate an
estimated $900,000,000 in savings between 2021 and 2025;
Whereas, in addition to its current portfolio of vaccines,
GAVI is working to support the roll-out and scale-up of newly
approved vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)
boosters, hepatitis B birth dose, multivalent meningococcal,
respiratory syncytia (RSV), routine oral cholera, and rabies;
Whereas GAVI also collaborates with the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative to bring polio vaccines into routine
immunization programs, strengthen health systems, and
implement additional polio protections;
Whereas GAVI has made significant progress in supporting
the development and stockpiling of an effective vaccine to
combat Ebola;
Whereas GAVI is participating in efforts to test and
implement an effective vaccine to prevent malaria, a disease
that kills more than 270,000 children a year;
Whereas GAVI is already helping countries maintain life-
saving immunization programs in the midst of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic to prevent multiple outbreaks and further
loss of life from vaccine-preventable diseases;
Whereas GAVI also is working to help countries meet the
threat of COVID-19 by providing vital resources, training,
and supplies to help protect health workers and expand access
to diagnostic testing;
Whereas GAVI will play a critical role in helping to
rebuild immunization systems so that once the immediate
crisis is over, catch-up immunization campaigns can begin and
COVID-19 vaccines can be introduced;
Whereas, in April 2020, GAVI joined the Access to COVID-19
Tools Accelerator, a collaboration of global health
organizations aimed at accelerating development, production,
and equitable access to new COVID-19 technologies, serving as
the co-lead of the vaccines work stream within the
initiative;
Whereas, on June 4, 2020, the United Kingdom will host an
online virtual Global Vaccine Summit, GAVI's third
replenishment conference, with an ambitious goal to raise
$7,400,000,000 in new donor commitments;
Whereas, with these additional resources, GAVI plans to
support the immunization of 300,000,000 children against
potentially fatal diseases and save an additional 7,000,000
to 8,000,000 lives between 2021 and 2025; and
Whereas the United States has been a leading supporter of
GAVI since its inception, and its continued commitment will
be essential to the achievement of the alliance's goals for
2021 through 2025: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the work of GAVI and its partners for their
efforts to expand access to vaccines and immunizations for
the most vulnerable men, women, and children in developing
countries;
(2) affirms the continued support of the United States
Government for GAVI as an efficient and effective mechanism
to advance global health security and save lives by--
(A) reducing the incidence of deadly and debilitating
diseases;
(B) leveraging donor, partner country, and private sector
investments in health systems capable of sustainably
delivering vaccines and immunizations; and
(C) reducing the cost of vaccines while promoting supply
chain security and sustainability;
(3) affirms the support of the United States Government for
the goal of securing at least $7,400,000,000 in donor
commitments for GAVI's third replenishment conference, to be
held on June 4, 2020, hosted by the United Kingdom;
(4) urges donor countries and private sector partners to
step up the fight against vaccine-preventable deaths and
increase their pledges for the third replenishment
conference;
(5) urges GAVI partner countries to continue to make and
meet ambitious co-financing commitments to sustain progress
in ending vaccine-preventable deaths; and
(6) encourages the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in cooperation with GAVI, to continue their work
to strengthen public health capacity to introduce and sustain
the use of new and underused vaccines in routine immunization
programs.
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