82R2042 MMS-D
By: Lucio III H.R. No. 369
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is committed to
supporting measures that safeguard the health of our state's
residents, and in that spirit, the members of this chamber are
promoting greater awareness of the Tdap vaccine; and
WHEREAS, Licensed in 2005, Tdap is the only combination
vaccine designed to protect adolescents and adults, specifically,
against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, commonly known as
whooping cough; and
WHEREAS, While cases of tetanus and diphtheria are rare today
in the United States, the incidence of pertussis has been
increasing since 1976, when vaccination for the disease brought the
number of cases down to just over a thousand; according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 Texas had 3,358
reported cases, the highest number in the country; nationwide, 2010
was expected to see the most cases in nearly half a century; and
WHEREAS, Because the immunity conferred by vaccination for
pertussis fades over time, it is important that adults receive the
Tdap booster and continue to be revaccinated at 10-year intervals,
unless their personal medical histories indicate otherwise;
physicians attribute the increase in pertussis, in large measure,
to the fact that many adults and adolescents have not received the
Tdap vaccine; and
WHEREAS, Pertussis typically lasts for about six weeks and,
in addition to violent coughing, can lead to pneumonia and swelling
of the brain; before the advent of widespread immunization in the
U.S., pertussis caused nearly 8,000 fatalities a year and was a
significant cause of childhood death; it remains a serious threat
to infants, for they have not yet completed the full cycle of
childhood vaccinations; and
WHEREAS, Many infants who develop pertussis are infected by
adults and adolescents who are carrying the disease but do not know
it because their symptoms are typically less acute; pertussis is
highly contagious, and those who have contracted the illness remain
infectious for about 21 days; and
WHEREAS, Although pertussis is generally less severe in
adults, they are frequently forced to miss work for repeated doctor
visits and may also develop complications and require
hospitalization; and
WHEREAS, Pertussis is a dangerous illness, but it is
preventable if children are inoculated and if adolescents and
adults keep current with Tdap booster immunizations; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby encourage greater public awareness of the risks
associated with pertussis and of the importance of adolescents and
adults receiving Tdap vaccinations on a regular schedule.