| 1 | 1 | | 23 LC 112 1539 |
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| 2 | 2 | | S. R. 304 |
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| 3 | 3 | | - 1 - |
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| 4 | 4 | | Senate Resolution 304 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By: Senators Watson of the 1st, Hatchett of the 50th, Hodges of the 3rd, Kirkpatrick of the |
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| 6 | 6 | | 32nd, Brass of the 28th and others |
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| 7 | 7 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | Supporting the inclusion of new RSV immunization technologies, including vaccines and |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 10 | 10 | | monoclonal antibodies, within the federal VFC program; and for other purposes.2 |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, RSV is a highly transmissible seasonal virus that can have severe and3 |
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| 12 | 12 | | unpredictable outcomes for infants, including hospitalization; and4 |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, nearly all children will be infected with RSV by age two, and most infants5 |
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| 14 | 14 | | requiring hospitalization were previously healthy and born at term; and6 |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States;7 |
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| 16 | 16 | | and8 |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small9 |
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| 18 | 18 | | airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than one10 |
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| 19 | 19 | | year of age in the United States; and11 |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, the current RSV season has resulted in significant morbidity and increased12 |
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| 21 | 21 | | mortality; and13 23 LC 112 1539 |
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| 22 | 22 | | S. R. 304 |
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| 23 | 23 | | - 2 - |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, in the United States, RSV infections typically occur during late fall, winter, and |
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| 25 | 25 | | 14 |
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| 26 | 26 | | early spring, meaning urgent preparation is needed; and15 |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, monoclonal antibodies for RSV show promise for preventative protection16 |
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| 28 | 28 | | against RSV; and17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, RSV disproportionally affects infants with Medicaid coverage, Native18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Americans, and Alaskan Natives; and19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program is a federally funded program that20 |
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| 32 | 32 | | provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | inability to pay; and22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, VFC coverage is critical to ensure equity and access for all infants in order to23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | have the greatest impact on disease burden.24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | support the inclusion of new RSV immunization technologies, including vaccines and26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | monoclonal antibodies, within the federal VFC program.27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed28 |
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| 40 | 40 | | to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the29 |
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| 41 | 41 | | press. 30 |
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