REMARKS
Francisco Moya's opening remarks on children's health and vaccination
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4 min
Council Member Francisco Moya shares insights on the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on children's vaccination rates and the resurgence of measles among unvaccinated individuals, emphasizing public health and social justice.
- Moya highlights the decline in vaccination rates among kindergarten children since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with coverage falling below the 'Healthy People 2030' target.
- He discusses the resurgence of measles outbreaks due to misinformation and the challenges in vaccine access, mentioning NYC as one of the epicenters in 2019.
- Moya points out the social justice aspect of vaccinations, emphasizing the need to support vulnerable children, including refugees and asylum seekers.
- He acknowledges colleagues, thanks the committee staff, and underscores the importance of collective action to fulfill our moral obligation of care.
Francisco P. Moya
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Thank you.
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Good afternoon, everyone.
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I'm councilmember Francisco Moyah.
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I'm chair of the subcommittee on COVID and infectious diseases.
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I'm joined by council member, Glenn Schulman, who is the Chair of the Committee on Health, to discuss the very important issues that affect the health and well-being of our children and our communities.
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But before we begin, I'd like to recognize my colleagues who are here today, council member Milley Dela Rosa and Marmo Moratto.
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Welcome, everyone.
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Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, the share of kindergarten children, up to sorry.
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Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, the share of kindergarten children up to date on their routine vaccinations has ticked down.
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According to the CDC for the 3rd year in a row, the National MMR DetAP and Chickenpox vaccination rates among kindergarten students fell below the healthy people 2030 target of 95%, which is a level needed to prevent community transmission of measles.
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As of 2023, the rate of coverage for such state required vaccinations is 93%.
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While this may seem like a small decline, this is actually the lowest reported rate of coverage in almost a decade and leaves about 250,000 school children vaccinated and unprotected against measles, one of the world's most contagious viruses.
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Measles were was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, thanks to the widespread use of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, andbella.
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However, in recent years, we have seen a resurgence of measles outbreak across the country and around the world, fueled by misinformation, fear, and the lack of access to vaccines.
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According to the CDC, more than 12 1200 cases of measles were reported in the United States in 2019, the highest number since 1992.
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Most of these cases occurred amongst unvaccinated people, especially children.
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New York City was one of the epicenters of the measles outbreak.
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With more than 600 cases reported in 2019, mostly in Brooklyn and Queens.
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The outbreak was declared over in September 2019, after a massive public health response that involved vaccinating thousands of people, issuing fines and closing schools.
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The measles outbreak as well as the COVID 19 pandemic has been a wake up call.
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They have shown us that we cannot take our health and safety for granted.
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These outbreaks show showed us that we need to protect ourselves and our children from preventable diseases by following the best scientific evidence and the recommendations of the CDC.
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And the advisory committee on immunization practices.
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These are the experts who decide which vaccines are safe and effective for the general US public based on rigorous research and data.
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However, not all children have access to vaccines.
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Some children face barriers such as poverty, language transportation or immigration status.
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Some children come from countries where vaccines are not readily available or where they have experienced war, violence, or persecution.
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These children are especially vulnerable to diseases and need our support and compassion.
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In New York City, students who refugees or asylum seekers have the right to attend school full time as long as they meet the age and residency requirements.
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But these students and their families face additional barriers to receive the state acquired vaccine for school attendance such as lack of documentation and access as well as various administrative barriers.
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Childhood vaccinations are not only a matter of personal choice.
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They are a matter of public health and social justice.
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They are a matter of protecting our most precious resource which is our children.
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They are a matter of fulfilling our moral obligation to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable amongst us.
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Among us.
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I look forward to hearing from the administration on this issue, and I want to conclude by thanking Claire Schulman and my fellow council members for being here.
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I would also like to thank the committee staff for their work on this hearing.
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And now I would like to turn the mic over to the council member Dela Rosa to read the opening statements for Churchillman.