HR1165 LRB096 21972 GRL 40122 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives finds that
3 influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the
4 influenza virus; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The best way to help prevent seasonal influenza is
6 by getting an influenza vaccination each year; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Every year in the United States, an average of
8 more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from
9 influenza-related complications and approximately 36,000
10 people, most of whom are elderly, die from influenza-related
11 causes; and
 
12     WHEREAS, While influenza viruses can cause illness in
13 people of any age group, children are most likely to get sick
14 because their immune systems aren't strong enough to fight off
15 the infection; children and young adults ages 5 to 19 are 3 to
16 4 times more likely to be infected with influenza than adults;
17 school-aged children are the population group most responsible
18 for transmission of contagious respiratory viruses, including
19 influenza; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The elderly make up the population that is most
21 vulnerable to severe illness from influenza, due to weaker

 

 

HR1165 - 2 - LRB096 21972 GRL 40122 r

1 immune responses to vaccination; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
3 Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
4 recently began recommending universal routine seasonal
5 influenza vaccination for all persons aged 6 months of age and
6 older; and
 
7     WHEREAS, School-based vaccination programs have been
8 documented to be an effective way to vaccinate children while
9 reducing transmission and infection rates to the large
10 community, while at the same time reducing rates of school
11 absenteeism due to children being infected with influenza; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Increasing the focus on providing influenza
13 vaccine to children targeted for immunization will also help
14 efforts to build a sound foundation for future vaccination
15 efforts; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Schools can be an effective infrastructure tool to
17 improve pandemic planning by developing collaborations and
18 enhancing partnerships between local health departments,
19 schools, and other community health partners, so that those
20 collaborations can be utilized to help facilitate mass
21 immunization during a pandemic outbreak; and
 

 

 

HR1165 - 3 - LRB096 21972 GRL 40122 r

1     WHEREAS, Although experience has demonstrated the
2 feasibility and success of school-based influenza vaccination
3 programs in vaccinating school-age children, the Illinois
4 House of Representatives is aware that funding and logistical
5 considerations, particularly involving the procurement and
6 delivery of vaccine to children with private health insurance
7 coverage, continue to present issues of program
8 sustainability; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 support school-based influenza mass vaccination collaborations
12 among local health departments and elementary and secondary
13 schools in their jurisdictions for the purpose of vaccinating
14 school-age children against influenza in accordance with the
15 recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
16 Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for
17 the annual vaccination of all school-age children 5 through 18
18 years of age; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That these programs through coordination with
20 local health departments, school nurses, school health care
21 programs, and other local entities shall be voluntary for all
22 participants; the influenza vaccination shall be administered
23 only with the consent of the student's parent or legal
24 guardian; and be it further
 

 

 

HR1165 - 4 - LRB096 21972 GRL 40122 r

1     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution shall be
2 presented to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the
3 Illinois State Board of Education.