[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       IMMUNIZATION FOR AMERICANS

  (Ms. SANCHEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about something 
that is very important to our country, adult immunization. 
Immunizations have helped prevent many illnesses and possible 
complications due to illness. Unfortunately, there is a misconception 
that immunization is only for children and for childhood diseases. The 
fact is that adults benefit from immunizations also. Hepatitis B, 
chicken pox, pneumonia are just a few examples of vaccine preventable 
illnesses affecting adults.
  Data for the year 2000 show an increase in the number of deaths due 
to influenza and pneumonia, now over 67,000 deaths. This is the seventh 
leading cause of death in the United States. Although the flu vaccine 
may not prevent the flu, it greatly reduces the severity of the illness 
and the risk of complications, especially in adults over 50 years of 
age and those who suffer chronic health conditions.
  Immunization is a cost-effective way of preventing disease and at a 
time when our Nation is faced with the possibility of unlikely yet very 
threatening infections, we must take the opportunity to be proactive 
against illnesses that we can prevent.

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