Senate bill would establish national campaign for vaccine awareness, support vaccine research

New legislation, recently introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), seeks to increase vaccination rates through a campaign of awareness, grants, and research support.

Primarily, under the VACCINES Act, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could award competitive grants to public or private organizations for national, evidence-based campaigns to counter misinformation and promote scientific knowledge of vaccines. The bill has already passed the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions as part of a larger health care package, putting it in the hands of the Senate as a whole.

“Experiencing the pain of watching a loved battle illness or even succumb to a vaccine-preventable disease is something no American should ever have to suffer through,” Peters said. “This bipartisan legislation would raise awareness about the importance of vaccinations to help more families protect their health and lower health care costs by preventing diseases that require expensive treatments.”

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 44 measles cases hit Michigan in March, a fraction of the more than 1,000 cases the CDC has reported throughout the country over the course of the year. Most of these cases have been due to unvaccinated individuals — all for a disease declared eliminated less than 20 years ago.

“Given the recent measles outbreak, it’s important to recognize that vaccinations and immunizations have saved countless lives and are critical in keeping both children and adults safe from preventable deadly diseases,” Duckworth said. “I’m glad the VACCINES Act passed out of committee and look forward to working with Senators Peters and Roberts to ensure the Senate passes our bipartisan bill as soon as possible to help Americans understand that vaccines are safe, effective and vital to our nation’s public health.”