Speeches

Encino Ballroom, 3800 Commercial Ave., San Antonio

(Between Military Drive and SE Loop 410)

Wednesday, July 14, 8:00 a.m.

 

Thank you, Clark, that's just like I wrote it.

 

Good morning everyone. I know it's early, but you can do better than that. Good morning. That's more like it.

 

It is great to be here, despite the hour, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity to get things rolling this morning. For those of you from out of town, welcome not just to San Antonio but to my side of San Antonio.

 

This is my 'hood.' Back in the day, I walked down Commercial Avenue each morning going to McCollum High School. I still live in this part of San Antonio, and so does most of my family. It is a great honor for me to represent this area in the Texas Senate, along with all the other territory that came with it.

 

Senate District 19 is the largest legislative district in the contiguous 48 states. At 55,000 square miles, it's larger than 28 states, six countries and two planets! It's also one of the poorest districts in Texas, with a per capita income of little more than $12,000.

 

Health care is hard to come by in a large part of my district, and for those who don't have health insurance, it's very expensive when they can find it.

 

So if you'll forgive the sports analogy… the old saying that "the best offense is a good defense" is particularly true in this district.

 

And defense is what you are all about. We all know how vitally important it is to prevent disease before it can do its damage… and you are here today to explore ways to get more people to see health care in this way.

 

Vaccine development ranks among the greatest accomplishments of mankind… in any era and in any field of endeavor. It is impossible to calculate how much death and suffering have been avoided since the first vaccines came on line.

 

If you were to ask any group of people… "would you rather avoid getting sick or endure a cure?"… most if not all would choose avoidance. Unfortunately, we know it's not that simple, and that's why this conference is so important.

 

Your job is made more difficult by the very small but legitimate risk that some vaccines present, by skeptics who aren't convinced that they work they way they should, and the growing movement of vaccine deniers who insist that they cause autism and other maladies.

 

Some in this latter group have made an industry out of demonizing vaccines and vaccine developers. In the process, they've caused a lot of mistrust and confusion among parents who really just want to make the best decisions for their children.

 

Add to that the large number of people who do believe in vaccination… but just can't find the time in their busy lives to get one… and it's easy to understand why the numbers aren't where they should be.

 

Perhaps only someone in politics would think about it this way… but it's little like our voting habits. Many people don't vote… but not because they don't believe in Democracy. They just don't get around to the polls. I won't even begin to get into the excuses for that.

 

Last year, a survey by CNN and Opinion Research found that 55 percent of Americans had no desire to get a swine flu vaccination. Many of that number believed the H1N1 vaccine wasn't needed or that it would have harmful side effects.

 

Twenty  percent said they wanted to get vaccinated but didn't actually go do it… and 14 percent said they tried but did not succeed. Despite the proven success of vaccines, and the very real danger posed by this strain of flu, only about seven percent made the effort to get immunized.

 

So it's easy to see why so many of you are pulling your hair out. The next flu season is not far away… and H1N1 is likely to be a part of the mix. It's time to redouble your efforts at educating Texans about the value of immunizations.

 

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee is studying the state’s ability to  respond to an H1N1 pandemic by examining vaccine distribution and capacity… the impact such an outbreak would have on our schools' ability to administer vaccines… and the ensuing problems of absenteeism and the cancellation of school and related events.

 

The committee is also looking at the state's ability to track and record H1N1 vaccinations through the ImmTrac registry… and reviewing statutes that govern ImmTrac to increase its effectiveness and efficiency.

 

One on the ways we can know how well an individual vaccine works is through such a registry… but a legitimate concern… even among people who believe in vaccination… is that of privacy.

 

Texas' current opt-in process requires tracking only of those who ask and want to be tracked. Now, I'm a strong believer in privacy rights… and Texas is likely to remain a leader in upholding consent. But there are ways to craft a registry that will provide the information we need without giving away the information we want to keep to ourselves.

 

The committee will be crafting legislation on this issue… and I encourage you to get involved in that process as the next session… and the next flu season… approaches.

 

Disease prevention is the key to public health… and I thank each and every one of you for the role you play in keeping Texas and its people strong and safe. Thank you and have a very productive conference.