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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The observance of National Immunization Awareness |
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| 6 | 7 | | Month in August 2017 provides an opportunity to reflect on the |
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| 7 | 8 | | lifesaving power of immunization, promote education and awareness, |
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| 8 | 9 | | and encourage all Texans to take action to protect their health; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The invention of vaccines is undeniably one of the |
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| 10 | 11 | | most important and transformative advancements in medicine, |
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| 11 | 12 | | drastically reducing the incidence and morbidity of infectious |
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| 12 | 13 | | diseases and saving lives that would otherwise be lost; by |
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| 13 | 14 | | preventing and eliminating illnesses like polio, smallpox, mumps, |
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| 14 | 15 | | and yellow fever that were once a tragic and inescapable reality, |
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| 15 | 16 | | immunizations have changed the face of childhood and altered the |
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| 16 | 17 | | course of every society on earth toward a healthier and more hopeful |
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| 17 | 18 | | future; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Although immunizations are a crucial tool for |
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| 19 | 20 | | combating infectious disease, much remains to be done to ensure the |
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| 20 | 21 | | availability and use of vaccines in the United States, which ranks |
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| 21 | 22 | | 114th among world countries in its rate of measles immunization in |
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| 22 | 23 | | infants; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Because widespread immunizations limit the spread |
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| 24 | 25 | | of disease among those who are too young or who are otherwise unable |
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| 25 | 26 | | to receive vaccinations, a low rate of immunization has the |
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| 26 | 27 | | troubling potential to endanger especially the more vulnerable |
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| 27 | 28 | | members of society, and it creates a greater risk of disease |
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| 28 | 29 | | outbreak; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, The importance of immunizations to the health of our |
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| 30 | 31 | | communities cannot be overstated, and National Immunization |
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| 31 | 32 | | Awareness Month in August provides an opportunity for educators, |
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| 32 | 33 | | health professionals, and other citizens to come together to inform |
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| 33 | 34 | | people of the steps to take to protect themselves and their loved |
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| 34 | 35 | | ones; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 36 | 37 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby recognize August 2017 as |
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| 37 | 38 | | National Immunization Awareness Month and encourage residents of |
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| 38 | 39 | | the Lone Star State to help spread the message about the importance |
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| 39 | 40 | | of immunization. |
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