Introduced Version
SENATE RESOLUTION No. ___
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED RESOL UTION
A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Indiana State
Department of Health to improve adult vaccination rates and
develop an adult immunization plan.
BECKER, ALTING
, read first time and referred to Committee on
2024 RR 3535/DI JC Introduced
Second Regular Session 123rd General Assembly (2024)
SENATE RESOLUTION ____
MADAM PRESIDENT:
I offer the following resolution and move its adoption:
1 A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Indiana State
2 Department of Health to improve adult vaccination rates and
3 develop an adult immunization plan.
4 Whereas, Adult vaccines reduce the burden of widespread
5 disease, such as long-term illness, hospitalization, and death,
6 and enable individuals to live longer, healthier, and more
7 productive lives;
8 Whereas, Despite vaccine recommendations from the
9 United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10 (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,
11 many adults do not receive all recommended vaccines;
12 Whereas, The CDC estimates that, since 2010,
13 influenza-related hospitalizations in the United States have
14 climbed as high as 710,000 and influenza-related deaths have
15 ranged from 12,000 to 56,000;
16 Whereas, Roughly 150,000 people are hospitalized with
17 pneumococcal pneumonia and 5-7% of those individuals die
18 each year;
2024 RR 3535/DI JC 2
1 Whereas, The United States annually spends more than $21
2 billion treating adults aged 50 years and older for influenza
3 and pneumococcal disease, both of which are
4 vaccine-preventable, and Indiana spends approximately $549
5 million annually on medical and indirect costs associated with
6 vaccine-preventable diseases in individuals 50 years and older;
7 Whereas, Influenza, like many vaccine-preventable
8 diseases, also contributes to workplace productivity loss, as a
9 typical full-time employee may lose up to 3.5 workdays due to
10 an influenza infection;
11 Whereas, For individuals 65 years of age and older,
12 respiratory syncytial virus can lead to as many as 160,000
13 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths in the United States each
14 year;
15 Whereas, An estimated 880,000 people in the United States
16 have chronic hepatitis B, which can cause serious health
17 problems like liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death;
18 Whereas, Human papillomavirus causes over 37,000
19 cancers in women and men each year, and about 4,000 women
20 die each year from cervical cancer;
21 Whereas, Despite the burden and consequences of
22 vaccine-preventable diseases, adult vaccination rates remain
23 low in the United States and far below national targets;
24 Whereas, As a result of low vaccination rates, adults
25 experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality from
26 vaccine-preventable diseases;
27 Whereas, Racial and ethnic minority populations, as well
28 as rural communities, report consistently lower rates of
29 immunization, attributable in part to decreased vaccine
30 awareness and knowledge of vaccination schedules;
2024 RR 3535/DI JC 3
1 Whereas, Providing targeted education and awareness of
2 adult vaccinations among minority and rural populations in the
3 state through evidence-based strategies can increase
4 vaccination rates;
5 Whereas, Supporting access to vaccines is a necessary
6 public health tool that will protect individuals from
7 vaccine-preventable diseases; and
8 Whereas, Developing a state immunization plan focused on
9 adults may reduce the impact of disruptions to adult routine
10 vaccines, decrease preventable healthcare utilization and
11 burden, reduce absenteeism due to illness, and help protect
12 populations from vaccine-preventable diseases: Therefore,
13
14 Be it resolved by the Senate of the
15 General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
16 SECTION 1. That the Indiana Senate urges the Indiana
17 State Department of Health to develop an effective and
18 actionable state immunization plan that includes adult
19 immunizations, with a goal of aligning stakeholders on shared
20 objectives and efforts to facilitate broad vaccine availability and
21 access and to provide greater clarity to patients and providers on
22 age-appropriate options.
23 SECTION 2. That the Indiana Senate urges the Indiana
24 State Department of Health to explore federal funding
25 opportunities and public-private partnerships to support vaccine
26 awareness and access to programs aligned with the goals
27 established in the state immunization plan.
28 SECTION 3. The Secretary of the Senate is hereby directed
29 to transmit copies of this Resolution to the Indiana State
30 Department of Health, John Wiley, and Sandy Benes.
31
2024 RR 3535/DI JC