[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
