BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 249|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 249
Author: Cox (R)
Amended: 4/27/09
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 10-0, 4/15/09
AYES: Alquist, Strickland, Aanestad, Cedillo, Cox,
DeSaulnier, Leno, Negrete McLeod, Pavley, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SENATE FLOOR : 36-0, 5/18/09 (Consent)
AYES: Aanestad, Alquist, Ashburn, Benoit, Calderon,
Cogdill, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Denham, DeSaulnier,
Ducheny, Dutton, Hancock, Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff,
Kehoe, Leno, Liu, Lowenthal, Maldonado, Negrete McLeod,
Oropeza, Padilla, Pavley, Runner, Simitian, Steinberg,
Strickland, Walters, Wiggins, Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cedillo, Florez, Romero, Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 9/2/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Vaccinations: meningitis
SOURCE : Sanofi-Pasteur
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Public
Health to include children who are between the ages of 11
and 18 years of age, in any meningococcal disease public
CONTINUED
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awareness campaign it implements by April 1, 2010.
Assembly Amendments provide that the California Department
of Education may include this information in material sent
home with standards.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to
develop information about meningococcal disease, by
April 1, 2002, and to make available, upon request, that
information to public and private postsecondary
institutions.
2. Requires DPH to send an information notice to each
school district advising of the availability of the
meningococcal information and provide it upon request.
3. Permits DPH to use the information developed to design
and implement a public awareness campaign about
meningococcal disease to reach members of the population
identified as being at high risk for contracting the
disease.
This bill requires DPH to develop information about
meningococcal disease, including information pertaining to
children who are between 11 and 18 years of age, by April
1, 2010. The bill authorizes the California Department of
Education to add this information to any health education
material sent home to parents of students who are at least
11 years of age.
Background
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
meningococcal disease is an acute bacterial infection.
Sudden onset of fever, intense headache, neck stiffness,
nausea, and often vomiting are common signs and symptoms of
meningococcal sepsis, with or without meningitis, in
persons over the age of two years. These symptoms can
develop over several hours, or they may take one to two
days. In infants, a slower onset of signs and symptoms may
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occur with nonspecific symptoms, and neck stiffness may be
absent. Years ago, the case-fatality ratio exceeded 50
percent, but early diagnosis, modern therapy, and
supportive measures have lowered the case-fatality ratio to
about 10 percent in developed countries. Among survivors,
11 percent to 19 percent have long-term disability,
including hearing loss, neurologic problems, or limb loss.
According to DPH, infants under one year of age have the
highest rates of meningococcal disease in California.
Adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 22 years are also
at increased risk.
In January 2005, the new MCV4 meningococcal vaccine was
licensed for use among persons aged 11 to 55 years. In
October 2007, the MCV4 vaccine was approved for use in
children aged two to ten years. The Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practice recommends vaccination with MCV4 at
the earliest opportunity for persons aged 11 to 18 years
and for college freshmen living in dormitories. Vaccination
is also recommended for persons who have certain medical
conditions that place them at increased risk of
meningococcal disease. According to DPH, Sanofi-Pasteur,
the sponsor of this bill, is the only company currently
licensed to manufacture vaccine for meningococcal disease.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/3/09)
Sanofi-Pasteur (source)
California School Nurses Association
National Meningitis Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Sanofi-Pasteur writes, this bill
is a follow-up measure to AB 1452 (Cox), Chapter 372,
Statures of 2001, and simply adds children who are at least
11 years of age to current law, pursuant to the
recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practice. The California School Nurses Association writes
that it is vital that parents receive information regarding
how meningococcal disease is spread and how it can be
prevented, as vaccination is available and, for many, is an
appropriate option.
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,
Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,
Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,
Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Buchanan, Vacancy
CTW:do 9/3/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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