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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The meningitis B vaccine has been newly approved
3by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory
4Committee on Immunization Practices; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Incoming college freshman students are most
6likely to be infected with meningitis due to the close living
7quarters and social nature of college students; college
8athletes are frequently together and commonly share items that
9can serve as a mechanism to transmit disease, promoting a high
10possibility of becoming infected with this disease; and
 
11    WHEREAS, There has recently been an outbreak of meningitis
12at the University of Oregon, infecting 6 individuals and
13resulting in one death; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In recent months and years, there have been
15multiple college students who have been infected with
16meningitis at different universities across several states,
17including San Diego State University, Drexel University,
18Princeton University, and Providence College, with some
19resulting in death and lifelong medical conditions not limited
20to loss of mental function, brain and kidney damage, loss of
21hearing, and amputation of limbs; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, There are 5 strains of meningitis, with serogroup
2B being the most deadly and just recently becoming vaccine
3preventable; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Meningitis B resembles the flu but escalates much
5more quickly; one in ten cases of those infected with
6meningitis B has resulted in death; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Health insurers commonly only cover immunizations
8that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization
9Practices; public schools and universities cannot require that
10which is not recommended; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
12met in February of 2014, but did not make any changes relating
13to meningitis due to a shortened meeting; the sub-group then
14deferred the topic of meningitis B recommendations until June
15of 2015; and
 
16    WHEREAS, After the severe outbreak of meningitis,
17government leaders sent out a public safety announcement
18strongly urging parents to immunize their children; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Physicians do not keep in stock that which is not
20in demand, making access to the life-saving vaccine difficult
21for parents who desire to vaccinate their children; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, A recommendation of this vaccine by the Advisory
2Committee on Immunization Practices would result in immunity
3for a majority of college students, allowing incoming students
4to develop immunity and protect their great, young minds and
5their futures from this known killer; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Centers for
8Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on
9Immunization Practices to recommend that incoming college
10students receive the meningitis B vaccine; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12delivered to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
13Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.