119-hres388

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 388 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 388

 Supporting the designation of the first week of April as ``Adolescent 
 Immunization Action Week'' and recognizing the importance of 
 encouraging vaccination for adolescents and young adults to protect 
 against serious illness.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 6, 2025

 Mr. Espaillat (for himself, Mr. Carson, Ms. Norton, Mr. Auchincloss, 
Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Scanlon, and Mr. Cohen) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Supporting the designation of the first week of April as ``Adolescent 
 Immunization Action Week'' and recognizing the importance of 
 encouraging vaccination for adolescents and young adults to protect 
 against serious illness.

Whereas 2024 marks the 3rd 2025 marks the 4th annual nationally recognized 
 ``Adolescent Immunization Action Week'';
Whereas adolescents and young adults are vital to the United States future 
 success and quality of life;
Whereas all adolescents and young adults deserve to be protected against 
 vaccine-preventable illness;
Whereas adolescents and young adults are a particularly vulnerable subset of the 
 United States population with respect to preventive health services;
Whereas through clinical trials and evaluation measures vaccines are proven to 
 be a safe and effective preventive health tool to protect adolescents 
 and young adults, and their communities, from serious illness;
Whereas immunization rates is one of the standards that is measured in the 
 Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2030, a 
 multiobjective plan to improve the Nation's health over the next decade;
Whereas adolescents and young adults are below Healthy People goals for 
 recommended immunizations and have been slow to get up-to-date since the 
 COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas protecting adolescents and young adults from vaccine-preventable illness 
 is a community responsibility held by parents, caregivers, and health 
 care providers to ensure the quality of life of individuals and the 
 community;
Whereas there is a need to address and heal mistrust in vaccines in rural and 
 underserved communities throughout the United States;
Whereas parents rate getting all recommended vaccines, getting a yearly flu 
 shot, and getting the new COVID-19 vaccine as lowest in importance (81 
 percent, 58 percent, and 46 percent respectively) compared to many other 
 preventive health behaviors for their teen;
Whereas 53 percent of teens residing in rural communities do not intend to get 
 the COVID-19 vaccine;
Whereas racial and ethnic vaccine coverage disparities persist in communities 
 throughout the United States;
Whereas more than 75 percent of parents and teens agree that there is a lot of 
 misinformation about vaccines;
Whereas parents, caregivers, adolescents, and young adults are in need of 
 accurate, easy-to-understand vaccine information to guide vaccination 
 decisions that will support lifelong health;
Whereas parents and caregivers residing in rural communities and in the Southern 
 United States are the least trusting of public health or government 
 agencies, and doctors or other health care providers as sources for 
 vaccine information;
Whereas, as the primary source of trusted health information for caregivers and 
 teens, health care providers have a duty to take action toward combating 
 misinformation and disinformation by conveying accurate vaccine 
 information; and
Whereas active collaboration amongst Federal, State, and local organizations is 
 critical to establishing immunization as a safe and effective 
 contributor to preventative health and to furthering the common goal of 
 high immunization coverage among adolescents and young adults: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) supports the designation of Adolescent Immunization 
 Awareness Week;

    (2) calls upon all citizens, community agencies, faith 
 groups, medical institutions, providers, elected leaders, 
 governmental agencies, and patient advocacy organizations to 
 increase their participation in the effort to support 
 immunizations for adolescents and young adults, thereby 
 protecting from vaccine-related illnesses and strengthening the 
 communities in which we live;

    (3) calls upon health care providers to take active steps 
 to heal the historic medical mistrust in medically underserved 
 communities; and

    (4) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
 calling upon the people of the United States to recognize 
 Adolescent Immunization Awareness Week with such participation, 
 activities, and programming.
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