STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1629

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 129

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 129 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REVIEW THE STATE'S VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND DETERMINE WHETHER VACCINATION FOR PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE FOR CHILDREN ENTERING CHILD CARE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT LIST OF REQUIRED VACCINATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the children in Hawaii are adequately protected from the pneumococcal disease by requesting the Department of Health to review the State's vaccination requirements and to determine whether vaccination for this disease should be added to the current list of required vaccinations.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been shown to be safe, effective, and widely available.  However, many children in Hawaii are still unprotected against the potentially fatal infections caused by the invasive pneumococcal disease.

     Your Committee further finds that the Department of Health stated in its testimony that they have already began the process of convening an Administrative Rules Working Group that will update the school immunization requirements.  It is the intent of your Committee that this measure serve to encourage the Department of Health to expedite this process in light of the urgent need to have appropriate and up-to-date immunization requirements that will protect the health of children in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 129 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair