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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, 2004 is the 50th anniversary of the successful
3 nationwide trial of the injectable killed polio vaccine that
4 included "polio pioneer" children; and
 
5      WHEREAS, The injectable polio vaccines eliminated
6 naturally occurring polio cases in the United States but have
7 not yet eliminated polio in other parts of the world; and
 
8     WHEREAS, As few as 57 percent of American children receive
9 all doses of necessary vaccines during childhood, including the
10 polio vaccine; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The success of the polio vaccines has caused
12 people to forget the 1,630,000 Americans born before the
13 development of the vaccines who had polio during the epidemics
14 in the middle of the 20th century; and
 
15     WHEREAS, At least 70 percent of paralytic polio survivors,
16 and 40 percent of nonparalytic polio survivors, are developing
17 post-polio sequelae, which are unexpected and often disabling
18 symptoms that occur up to 35 years after the poliovirus attack,
19 including overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle and
20 joint pain, sleep disorders, heightened sensitivity to
21 anesthesia, cold pain, and difficulty swallowing and
22 breathing; and
 
23     WHEREAS, 2004 is the 130th anniversary of the diagnosis of
24 the first case of post-polio sequelae and the 20th anniversary
25 of the creation of the International Post-Polio Task Force; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Research and clinical work by members of the
27 International Post-Polio Task Force have discovered that
28 post-polio sequelae can be treated, and even prevented, if
29 polio survivors are taught to conserve energy and use assistive

 

 

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1 devices to stop damaging and killing the reduced number of
2 overworked, polio virus-damaged neurons in the spinal cord and
3 brain that survived the polio attack; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Many medical professionals, and polio survivors,
5 do not know of the existence of post-polio sequelae, or of the
6 available treatments; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The mission of the International Post-Polio Task
8 Force and support groups in our State includes educating
9 medical professionals and the 20,000,000 polio survivors in the
10 world about post-polio sequelae through the international
11 post-polio letter campaign, television public service
12 announcements provided by the Columbia Broadcasting System and
13 the National Broadcasting System Company, and a continuing plot
14 about polio and post-polio sequelae on the National
15 Broadcasting Company television series "American Dreams";
16 therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19 the House of Representatives (1) recognizes that there is a
20 need for every child to be vaccinated against polio; (2)
21 recognizes the 1,630,000 Americans who survived polio, their
22 new battle with post-polio sequelae, and the need for education
23 and appropriate medical care; and (3) proclaims 2004 as The
24 Year of Polio Awareness to promote vaccination and post-polio
25 sequelae education and treatment; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health is
27 urged to establish a public awareness campaign to inform the
28 general public and local boards of health, physicians,
29 hospitals, clinics about post-polio sequelae; and be it further
 
30     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
31 presented to the Director of Public Health.