PRINTER'S NO. 3571
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
944
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY CORBIN, PICKETT, GREINER, PEIFER, WARD, HENNESSEY,
KINSEY, DONATUCCI, LONGIETTI, NEILSON, FEE, TOOHIL,
PASHINSKI, MILLARD, ZIMMERMAN, RYAN, DUSH, SONNEY, MURT,
HEFFLEY, DiGIROLAMO, BURNS, SCHLOSSBERG, DRISCOLL, STAATS,
CALTAGIRONE, EVERETT, HILL-EVANS, MARSICO, M. QUINN,
WHEELAND, R. BROWN AND SCHLEGEL CULVER, MAY 24, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MAY 24, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2018 as "Shingles Awareness
and Improvement Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Herpes zoster or shingles is a disease caused by the
same virus that causes chickenpox; and
WHEREAS, Any individual who has contracted chickenpox is at
risk for shingles, which amounts to approximately 98% of the
adult population of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 1 in 3 people in the United States will
contract shingles in their lifetime, corresponding to an
estimated 1 million people annually; and
WHEREAS, The risk of shingles increases with age, with nearly
half of those affected over 60 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Half of people living until 85 years of age will
develop shingles; and
WHEREAS, Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful
and sometimes severe rash along with other symptoms, including
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long-term nerve pain, fever, headache, chills, upset stomach,
muscle weakness, skin infection, scarring and decrease or loss
of vision or hearing; and
WHEREAS, As many as 20% of adults who have contracted
shingles will develop postherpetic neuralgia, a debilitating
complication of shingles that causes severe pain that may
interfere with sleep and recreational activities and be
associated with clinical depression; and
WHEREAS, Vaccines have reduced the burden of widespread and
often fatal diseases, enabling individuals to lead longer and
healthier lives while reducing health care costs; and
WHEREAS, Although much attention has been paid to the
importance of childhood vaccinations, there is a general lack of
awareness of adult-recommended vaccines and a misperception that
immunizations are unnecessary for healthy adults; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
recommend that healthy adults 50 years of age or older be
vaccinated against shingles to prevent shingles and shingles-
related complications; and
WHEREAS, Despite the recommendations of CDC officials and
other experts, as of 2015 only 30% of eligible adults had
received the shingles vaccine; and
WHEREAS, The annual economic burden of shingles in American
adults is estimated to be between $782 million and $5 billion;
and
WHEREAS, The National Academy of Medicine has stated that one
of the six causes of excess costs in the United States health
care system is missed prevention opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Millions of American adults go without routine and
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recommended vaccinations because our medical system is not set
up to ensure that adults receive regular preventive health care;
and
WHEREAS, As the month of August is observed as "National
Immunization Awareness Month," residents of this Commonwealth
should be encouraged to speak with their health care providers
about proper vaccination against shingles according to current
CDC and ACIP recommendations; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2018 as "Shingles Awareness and Improvement
Month" in Pennsylvania to increase public awareness of the
importance of adults receiving vaccines against shingles and
promote outreach and education efforts concerning adult
vaccination; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
Department of Aging to take appropriate action to promote
shingles awareness, including encouraging health care
practitioners to discuss vaccines for shingles with adult
patients and adopting appropriate programs and initiatives to
raise public awareness of the importance of adult vaccination.
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