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SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 25

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Cynthia Nava

A JOINT MEMORIAL

ENCOURAGING USE OF EFFICIENT AND SAFE VACCINES FOR NEW MEXICO

CHILDREN.

WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature is committed to

protecting the health of New Mexico's children and finds that

effective and safe vaccines are essential to meet this goal;

and

WHEREAS, based on a review of scientific literature, the

clinical prevention initiative immunization workgroup, a joint

effort of the New Mexico department of health and the New

Mexico medical society has concluded that the influenza vaccine

currently in use is safe and effective for use in children; and

WHEREAS, the clinical prevention initiative childhood

immunization workgroup has also determined that it is important

to reduce children's exposure to mercury whenever possible,

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including in vaccines; and

WHEREAS, this reduction in the mercury content of vaccines

has already occurred for all other routine childhood vaccines,

including influenza vaccine for children younger than three

years of age; and

WHEREAS, ensuring an adequate supply of influenza vaccine

to New Mexico's health care providers is important to protect

New Mexico's children and adults from serious illness and death

due to influenza; and

WHEREAS, establishing a preference for influenza vaccine

that is thimerosal-free or contains only trace amounts of

thimerosal for pregnant women and children younger than eight

years of age follows the national precedent established when

thimerosal was removed or reduced from all other childhood

vaccines;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislature remain

committed to achieving the goal of providing all recommended

immunizations to one hundred percent of New Mexico's children;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislature

recognize and support the efforts of the department of health,

the New Mexico medical society, the New Mexico pediatric

society, the New Mexico immunization coalition and other health

care providers and organizations to increase immunization rates

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among persons who are recommended to receive influenza

immunization, using all licensed vaccines, with preference

given to vaccines containing no more than trace amounts of

mercury; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislature

support the policy of the department of health to purchase,

preferentially, influenza vaccine that is thimerosal-free or

contains only trace amounts of thimerosal for use for pregnant

women and young children, provided that the supply of influenza

vaccine to health care providers is not impeded by the exercise

of this preference; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislature

support the efforts of the department of health, the New Mexico

medical society and others to encourage the production and use

of influenza vaccines containing no more than trace amounts of

mercury, especially for young children and pregnant women; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of health be

directed to introduce a resolution to the association of state

and territorial health officers that calls for vaccine

manufacturers to move toward producing vaccine that contains no

mercury preservative; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislature

convey to the United States food and drug administration its

position that adequate supples of influenza vaccines containing

no more than trace amounts of mercury be produced for young

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children and pregnant women as a step toward the goal of

removing mercury from all vaccines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation and to

the governor.

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