Political Quotes

“I rise for a few minutes to discuss in morning business an issue that involves essentially every American today, and that is an issue regarding the shortage of vaccines. Every day, thousands and thousands of parents take their children to physicians' offices all across this great country, not because their children are sick or in response to an acute illness, but because they understand the importance of preventing a potential illness. They want, and they rightfully expect, their children will be able to receive vaccines needed to prevent illnesses that range from tuberculosis to measles to mumps to rubella to chicken pox. Yet--and I tell this to my colleagues and to people listening across the country-- the fact is that many of these parents are being turned away with their children still vulnerable to some of these very destructive and often deadly diseases. Five vaccines that prevent eight childhood diseases have been in short supply in the United States since last summer. Thankfully, there have been no major outbreaks among American children. We thankfully have been vigilant about vaccinations in this country in recent years, and our population on the whole has built up a strong immunity. But we have a short supply of vaccines today. The longer these vaccine shortages continue, the more vulnerable our children become.”