    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [June 13, 1991]
    [Pages 648-650]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Childhood Immunization
    June 13, 1991

        The President. Let me just say at the outset of these remarks how
    proud I am of our Secretary, who is taking the lead in matters like
    immunization, the subject at hand today, and so many others, going
    across this country, the message of hope, recognizing our shortcomings,
    but also outlining programs that are essential to the health of this
    nation.
        I'm delighted to see Chairman Whitten here, long interested in the
    health of our children, and Congressman Norm Lent and three Senators
    whose passion is this kind of caring for others. And I'm talking about
    Senator Bumpers, Senator Hatch, and Senator Chafee, all with us here
    today.
        And I also want to just second the motion as to what Lou said about
    Assistant Secretary Mason and Surgeon General Novello and, of course,
    our old associate here who now heads the Center for Disease Control,
    Bill Roper. Welcome back, Bill. Glad to have you here.
        And let me also salute, because this is vital to success of a
    program like this, the State and local health officials. And I'd be
    remiss if I didn't signal out this dressy bunch of kids here in the
    front row. They look great, and there's a certain symbolism of having
    them with us today. And thank you--their teachers and their families--
    for bringing them our way. To them I say, I'll try to be brief.
    [Laughter] As with immunization, this will only hurt a little.
    [Laughter]
        When we announced our national education goals, the very first was
    that by the year 2000 all children in America will start school ready to
    learn. And that's one reason we put such emphasis on our Healthy Start
    initiative. Every child deserves a chance. And in the 1990's, no child
    in America should be at risk to deadly diseases like diptheria and polio
    or the one that Lou was stressing here today, measles.
        A decade ago, we hoped to eradicate these threats. And thanks to
    those of you here today and many others across our country, we have made
    remarkable progress. And on behalf of a grateful nation then, let me
    thank all of you and others like you for what you have done by being in
    the leadership role in these important questions.
        I urge you to get on now with the job at hand because, despite our
    successes, 1990 brought the largest number of measles cases since 1977--
    1977--a 50-percent increase over `89. And that's why I again commend the
    Secretary of HHS Dr. Sullivan, and Dr. Mason, Surgeon General Novello,
    and Mr. Roper and others for performing their HHS SWAT team to visit six
    major cities--Lou

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    gave you the names--work with State and local officials, some of you
    here today.
        And they want to learn why kids aren't getting immunized. And they
    want to get every community mobilized. And out of this testing they'll
    come forward with ideas that I hope will help this nation's health.
        We've got to find out what works and make sure the word spreads so
    that the disease does not. By getting to kids at an earlier age, by
    educating parents and finding creative ways to get them into the
    clinics, we can see that no child is left vulnerable without a vaccine
    for preventable childhood diseases.
        My budget for '92 calls for an additional $40 million for the CDC
    immunization program, targeted especially to communities where the need
    is the greatest. Overall, Federal funding for immunizations has more
    than doubled since '88. But a problem like this one won't be solved by
    directives out of the White House or out of HHS or out of NIH or
    wherever. We've got to assault it from all angles and levels with public
    health efforts, with creative partnerships between the nonprofits and
    the private sector, with conscientious action on the part of parents,
    teachers, and citizens.
        And we have plenty of vaccines. But we must do the hard work of
    logistics, of planning, of coordination to get the medicine to kids who
    need it, especially in the urban neighborhoods.
        So, let me thank all of you here today, singling out a few Points of
    Light in this effort: the Junior Leagues, the Children's Action Network,
    and many other organizations and individuals who have been committed to
    childhood immunization programs for years. You've been doing the Lord's
    work for years, long before we've got the proper focus on it here at the
    Federal Government. Your remarkable work to build awareness will get
    results. And I'm certain of that.
        Throughout our health policy programs, we're putting new emphasis on
    prevention. America's a humane and caring society that cannot condone
    unnecessary suffering. And what's more, to remain a vital society, we
    can't afford to waste human resources either. Disease prevention
    represents our best opportunity to reduce the ever-increasing portion of
    our resources that we now spend to treat preventable illnesses.
        For the sake of children who need protection from childhood
    diseases, we need to try creative ideas like ``one-stop shopping'' for
    health care, and escorted referral for ``express lane'' immunization at
    clinics. By encouraging all health care professionals never to miss a
    chance to give a shot, we'll have a fighting chance to get ahead of
    these diseases.
        Along with all who serve in health care, today I call on every
    parent everywhere in America: Don't take a chance. The facilities are
    there. The vaccines are available. Call your local public health
    official or your own physician. Please, make sure your child is
    immunized.
        A deadly plague called polio threatened my generation, darkened the
    fun of summers and crippled and killed kids. But American ingenuity,
    fantastic research, stopped that killer. And while some say each
    generation repeats the mistakes of the last, no generation in America
    should suffer the plagues of the past.
        American decency demands that we not let complacency lead to
    contagion, and never let apathy lead to epidemic. So, with the efforts
    of people like you, with the help from these five Congressmen and many
    Members of Congress and many others--Chairman Whitten, Norm Lent,
    Senator Bumpers, Senator Hatch, and Senator Chafee--the help of these
    leads--who else did I miss? Where is Arlen? Now, Senator Specter has
    done something he normally doesn't do, he's blended in with the crowd
    back there. [Laughter] But you should be sitting up here so I could
    finger you. But stand up, because I want these other--or you could come
    up with us. But Senator Specter has been a leader in this whole quest
    for helping kids.
        So, it's a cooperative effort. And I'm going to approach it that way
    as we--I hope our Department is. I know Lou Sullivan is. And it's not
    just the Members of Congress, nor the President of the United States;
    it's all of you. Many of you have been out front long before we have.
    But I thank you. I salute you. And now let's go out and get the job
    done. And thanks for coming to the

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    White House on this beautiful day.
        And Arlen, if you all would come up, let me just get one quick
    picture with our health professionals here.
        Thank you all very, very much.
        Q. Mr. President, who will submit your health package to Congress?
    Who will submit it, sir?
        The President. --piece by piece. You're hearing a very important
    part of it right now.

                        Note: The President spoke at 9:26 a.m. in the Rose
                            Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to Secretary of Health and Human
                            Services Louis W. Sullivan; Representatives
                            Jamie L. Whitten, chairman of the House
                            Appropriations Committee, and Norman F. Lent;
                            Senators Dale Bumpers, Orrin G. Hatch, John H.
                            Chafee, and Arlen Specter; James O. Mason,
                            Assistant Secretary for Health; Antonia C.
                            Novello, Surgeon General of the Public Health
                            Service; and William L. Roper, Director of the
                            Centers for Disease Control.