2023 Senate Resolution 50

Whereas, Respiratory syncytial virus, commonly referred to as RSV, is a highly transmissible, seasonal virus that may have severe and unpredictable outcomes for infants, including hospitalization. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States and is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than one year of age in the United States. Nearly all children will be infected with RSV by age two, and most infants requiring hospitalization do not have underlying conditions or risk factors. RSV affects Native American, Alaskan Native, and low-income communities at higher rates than other communities; and

Whereas, In the United States, RSV infections typically occur during the late fall, winter, and early spring; therefore, urgent action is needed. The current RSV season has resulted in significant morbidity and hospitalizations. In fall 2022, Michigan’s positivity rate for RSV tests surpassed twenty-three percent at times, which was an increase from the seventeen-point three percent rate in 2021; and

Whereas, Monoclonal antibodies for RSV have shown promise in providing preventative protections against the disease; and

Whereas, The Vaccines for Children Program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. The Vaccines for Children Program coverage is critical to ensure equity and access for all infants in order to have the greatest impact on disease prevention; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include new respiratory syncytial virus immunization technologies (including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies) within the federal Vaccines for Children Program; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.