[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 1994)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19125-19126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9978]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 22, 1994]


  


                        Presidential Documents 


Federal Register
Vol. 59, No. 78
Friday, April 22, 1994

____________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President
                Proclamation 6675 of April 20, 1994

 

National Infant Immunization Week

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                One of my Georgetown University professors, Otto Hentz, 
                S.J., has written, ``There is no greater gesture of 
                trust than when children expectantly thrust their arms 
                up in the air, telling us in the universal language of 
                toddlers, `Pick me up.' And when we follow this 
                command, we witness the complete serenity of children, 
                their perfect trust that they will not be dropped. This 
                is an astonishing vote of confidence . . . .''

                To guarantee that our children's faith in us is 
                justified, we must renew our commitment to protect them 
                from deadly infectious diseases. Unfortunately, less 
                than two-thirds of American children under age 2 have 
                received all the immunizations they need. In some inner 
                city and rural areas, vaccination rates are much lower 
                than in more urban communities. The unnecessary 
                illnesses resulting from this failure are a health 
                disaster and a human tragedy.

                To prevent suffering and to save lives, my 
                Administration has taken new steps to protect our 
                youngest children. In April 1993, I submitted to the 
                Congress the ``Comprehensive Child Immunization Act,'' 
                significant portions of which were enacted into law 
                last year. In addition, our Childhood Immunization 
                Initiative is the most sweeping childhood immunization 
                plan in American history. This proposal includes free 
                vaccines for needy children, increased funding to 
                cities and States to improve the service delivery 
                infrastructure, enhanced disease detection and 
                immunization monitoring systems, and an aggressive 
                national outreach program.

                This Initiative will mobilize every community to 
                practice disease prevention on a grand scale. It will 
                allow us to increase vaccination levels for 2-year-old 
                children from the current 64 percent to at least 90 
                percent and to build a vaccine delivery system that 
                will maintain these achievements within a reformed 
                health care system.

                Adults responsible for safeguarding our youngest 
                children must be made aware of the seriousness of this 
                problem. Many parents do not realize that more than 80 
                percent of all recommended vaccinations should be given 
                before a child is 2 years old--long before he or she 
                begins school. We must make sure that every parent is 
                informed that between the ages of 2 months and 2 years 
                of age their children will require five visits to a 
                doctor or clinic to assure their proper immunization. 
                Doctors must also help by educating the public about 
                the importance of immunizations and by making sure that 
                the children under their care are monitored carefully 
                to ensure full protection.

                Last year, I proclaimed the last week of April as 
                National Preschool Immunization Week. This year, as 
                part of the effort to focus greater attention on the 
                need to immunize children before their second birthday, 
                I have changed the name of the observance to National 
                Infant Immunization Week.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim the last full week of April 
                1994 and in all succeeding years as National Infant 
                Immunization Week. I call upon all Americans, 
                especially parents and health care providers, to do 
                their part to help in this crucial effort and to 
                observe this week annually with appropriate activities 
                and recognition ceremonies.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and eighteenth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)>

[FR Doc. 94-9978
Filed 4-20-94; 4:30 pm]
Billing code 3195-01-P