R 240

2018 -- H 8195 Enacted 05/15/2018

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF MAY TO BE "SHINGLES AWARENESS AND IMPROVEMENT MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Lima, Costantino, Almeida, Fellela, and Serpa

Date Introduced: May 15, 2018

WHEREAS, Herpes zoster (shingles) is a disease caused by the same virus (zoster) that

causes chicken pox; therefore, any individual who has contracted chickenpox (approximately 98

percent of United States adults) is at risk for shingles; and

WHEREAS, Nearly one in three people in the United States will contact shingles in their

lifetime corresponding to an estimated one million people annually; and

WHEREAS, The risk of developing shingles increases with age, with nearly half of those

affected being over the age of 60. Half of the population living to the age of 85 will contract

shingles; and

WHEREAS, Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash that can be severe.

Other symptoms include long-term nerve pain, fever, headache, chills, upset stomach, muscle

weakness, skin infection, scarring, decrease or loss of vision or hearing; and

WHEREAS, As much as twenty percent of adults who have contracted shingles will

develop postherpetic neuralgia, a debilitating complication of shingles that causes severe pain. It

also may interfere with sleep and recreational activities, and can be associated with clinical

depression; and

WHEREAS, Vaccines have reduced the burden of widespread and often fatal diseases,

enabling individuals to lead longer and healthier lives while reducing health care costs; and

WHEREAS, The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and

the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend that healthy adults 50

years and older be vaccinated against shingles to prevent shingles-related complications; and

WHEREAS, Despite the recommendations of CDC officials and other experts that all

healthy adults be vaccinated against shingles, as of 2015, only thirty percent of eligible adults had

received the shingles vaccine; and

WHEREAS, The annual economic burden of shingles in American adults is estimated to

be between $782 million and $5 billion; and

WHEREAS, The Institute of Medicine (IOM), has stated that one of the six causes of

excess costs in the United States health care system is missed prevention opportunities; now,

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby proclaims the Month of May to be "Shingles Awareness and

Improvement Month" in the State of Rhode Island in order to increase public awareness of the

importance of adults receiving vaccines against shingles, and to promote outreach and education

efforts concerning adult vaccination; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Nicole Alexander-Scott, M.D., M.P.H.,

Director, Rhode Island Department of Health.

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LC005664

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