HR0659 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0659 LRB093 19828 KEF 45571 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 2004 is the 50th anniversary of the successful nationwide trial of the injectable killed polio vaccine that included "polio pioneer" children; and

WHEREAS, The injectable polio vaccines eliminated naturally occurring polio cases in the United States but have not yet eliminated polio in other parts of the world; and

WHEREAS, As few as 57 percent of American children receive all doses of necessary vaccines during childhood, including the polio vaccine; and

WHEREAS, The success of the polio vaccines has caused people to forget the 1,630,000 Americans born before the development of the vaccines who had polio during the epidemics in the middle of the 20th century; and

WHEREAS, At least 70 percent of paralytic polio survivors, and 40 percent of nonparalytic polio survivors, are developing post-polio sequelae, which are unexpected and often disabling symptoms that occur up to 35 years after the poliovirus attack, including overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain, sleep disorders, heightened sensitivity to anesthesia, cold pain, and difficulty swallowing and breathing; and

WHEREAS, 2004 is the 130th anniversary of the diagnosis of the first case of post-polio sequelae and the 20th anniversary of the creation of the International Post-Polio Task Force; and

WHEREAS, Research and clinical work by members of the International Post-Polio Task Force have discovered that post-polio sequelae can be treated, and even prevented, if polio survivors are taught to conserve energy and use assistive devices to stop damaging and killing the reduced number of overworked, polio virus-damaged neurons in the spinal cord and brain that survived the polio attack; and

WHEREAS, Many medical professionals, and polio survivors, do not know of the existence of post-polio sequelae, or of the available treatments; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the International Post-Polio Task Force and support groups in our State includes educating medical professionals and the 20,000,000 polio survivors in the world about post-polio sequelae through the international post-polio letter campaign, television public service announcements provided by the Columbia Broadcasting System and the National Broadcasting System Company, and a continuing plot about polio and post-polio sequelae on the National Broadcasting Company television series "American Dreams"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the House of Representatives (1) recognizes that there is a need for every child to be vaccinated against polio; (2) recognizes the 1,630,000 Americans who survived polio, their new battle with post-polio sequelae, and the need for education and appropriate medical care; and (3) proclaims 2004 as The Year of Polio Awareness to promote vaccination and post-polio sequelae education and treatment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health is urged to establish a public awareness campaign to inform the general public and local boards of health, physicians, hospitals, clinics about post-polio sequelae; and be it further

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