SR0136LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r 1 SENATE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, Respiratory Syncytial Virus disease (RSV) is a 3 highly transmissible, seasonal virus that can have severe and 4 unpredictable outcomes for infants, including hospitalization; 5 and 6 WHEREAS, Nearly all children will be infected with RSV by 7 age two, and most infants requiring hospitalization were 8 previously healthy and born at term; and 9 WHEREAS, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among 10 infants in the U.S.; and 11 WHEREAS, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis 12 (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia 13 (infection of the lungs) in children younger than one year of 14 age in the U.S.; and 15 WHEREAS, The current RSV season has resulted in 16 significant morbidity and increased mortality; and 17 WHEREAS, In the U.S., RSV infections typically occur 18 during late fall, winter, and early spring, which means urgent 19 preparation is needed; and SR0136 LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136- 2 -LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 - 2 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 - 2 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r 1 WHEREAS, Monoclonal antibodies show promise in 2 preventative protection against RSV; and 3 WHEREAS, RSV disproportionally affects infants with 4 Medicaid coverage, Native Americans, and Alaskan Natives; and 5 WHEREAS, The Vaccines For Children (VFC) program is a 6 federally-funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to 7 children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of 8 inability to pay; and 9 WHEREAS, VFC coverage is critical to ensure equity and 10 access for all infants in order to have the greatest impact on 11 disease burden; therefore, be it 12 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL 13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Centers for 14 Disease Control and Prevention to include new RSV immunization 15 technologies (including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies), 16 within the federal VFC program if the Advisory Committee on 17 Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and 18 Prevention issues administrative recommendations that are 19 subsequently approved by the Director of the Centers for 20 Disease Control and Prevention; and be it further 21 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be SR0136 - 2 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136- 3 -LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 - 3 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r SR0136 - 3 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r 1 delivered to Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 2 Prevention Rochelle Walensky, Administrator of the Centers for 3 Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, 4 and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services 5 Xavier Becerra. SR0136 - 3 - LRB103 31458 MST 59199 r