HR0613 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0613 LRB103 39456 LAW 69650 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Adult vaccines reduce the burden of widespread disease and enable individuals to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives; and

WHEREAS, Despite vaccine recommendations made by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), many adults do not receive all recommended vaccines; and

WHEREAS, Vaccine-preventable diseases cause long-term illness, hospitalization, and death; the CDC estimates that, since 2010, influenza-related hospitalizations in the U.S. have ranged from 140,000 to 710,000 and influenza-related deaths have ranged from 12,000 to 56,000; further, roughly 150,000 people are hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia, and 5 to 7% of those individuals die each year; for individuals 65 years of age and older, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can lead to as many as 160,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year; an estimated 880,000 to 1.89 million people in the U.S. have chronic hepatitis B, which can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death; finally, human papillomavirus (HPV) causes over 37,000 cancers in women and men each year, and approximately 4,000 women die each year from cervical cancer; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. annually spends more than $21 billion treating adults 50 years of age and older for influenza and pneumococcal disease, both of which are vaccine-preventable; and

WHEREAS, Influenza, like many vaccine-preventable diseases, also contributes to workplace productivity loss; a typical, full-time employee may lose up to 3.5 workdays due to absenteeism and presenteeism from an influenza infection; and

WHEREAS, Despite the burden and consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases, adult vaccination rates remain low in the U.S. and far below national targets; in 2021, pneumococcal vaccine coverage among adults 65 years of age and older was 65.8%; similar trends were seen with hepatitis B vaccination coverage, with only 34.2% of adults 19 years of age and older receiving a hepatitis B vaccine; and

WHEREAS, As a result of low vaccination rates, adults experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, racial and ethnic minority populations report consistently lower rates of immunization than white individuals; for example, in the U.S., the shingles vaccination rate was 35.5% among non-Hispanic white adults and 19.9% among non-Hispanic Black/African American adults; additionally, less than 43% of Black/African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults received an influenza vaccine for the 2021-2022 season compared to 54% of white adults; this is attributable in part to decreased vaccine awareness and suboptimal knowledge of vaccination schedules; and

WHEREAS, Reported adult vaccination rates are often lower in rural communities than in urban settings; for example, the CDC reports rural counties had first-dose COVID-19 vaccination coverage of 58.5% compared to 75.4% in urban counties between December 2020 and January 2022; and

WHEREAS, Providing targeted education and awareness of adult vaccinations among racial and ethnic minority populations in the State through evidence-based strategies can increase uptake; and

WHEREAS, Supporting access to vaccines is a necessary public health tool that will protect individuals from vaccine-preventable diseases; and

WHEREAS, Provisions of the federal Inflation Reduction Act expanded access to vaccine coverage without cost-sharing; the law removed cost-sharing for vaccines covered under Medicare Part D in January 2023 and mandated coverage for all ACIP-recommended vaccines administered to adults covered by traditional Medicaid in October 2023; and

WHEREAS, Developing a state immunization strategy focused on adults may assist in reducing the impact of disruptions to adult routine vaccines, decreasing preventable healthcare utilization and burden, reducing absenteeism due to illness, and helping protect populations from vaccine-preventable diseases; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to continue taking appropriate action to facilitate equitable access to adolescent and adult vaccinations, including establishing appropriate programs and initiatives to raise public awareness on the importance of adolescent and adult vaccinations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the IDPH to continue working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in-state healthcare providers, and patients to implement an effective and actionable state immunization strategy that includes adult immunizations, which will align stakeholders on shared objectives and efforts to facilitate broad vaccine availability and access and provide greater clarity to patients and providers on age-appropriate options; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the IDPH to continue increasing community resilience to communicable and other emerging disease threats; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the IDPH to continue determining goals on which to center the immunization plan, and these goals may include but are not limited to strengthening adult and adolescent immunization infrastructure, improving access, assessing vaccine administration fees, increasing community demand, lowering vaccine hesitancy, and promoting health equity initiatives to improve uptake; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the IDPH to continue exploring federal funding opportunities and partnerships to support vaccine awareness and access programs aligned with the goals established in the state immunization strategy; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.