Representative Adriano Espaillat Leads Efforts to Establish Adolescent Immunization Action Week

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), sent a letter to President Biden requesting a Presidential Proclamation designating the first week in April, annually, as National Adolescent Immunization Action Week (AIAW) in an effort to encourage immunization and to combat misinformation. Additionally, Espaillat introduced a resolution to coincide with his engagement with the Biden Administration to recognize AIAW in Congress and call on the medical community to support immunization awareness and take action to help combat medical mistrust and misinformation.

“We have long understood that vaccination is one of the most effective resources we have in our fight to combat infectious diseases and viruses,” said Espaillat. “At no other time in recent history was this more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we witnessed a significant increase in vaccine skepticism, misinformation, and evasion that persists still today and continues to perpetuate unfounded information and stigma against vaccines.

Espaillat continued, “With adolescent immunization rates falling below the federal minimum goals, it remains imperative we address the issue of adolescent immunization and vaccine awareness to ensure protections today that will have long-term benefits, especially for our youth. I am proud to support Adolescent Immunization Action Week and help promote education and awareness of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and the benefits these safeguards offer to our society.”

“Adolescent immunization is vital to protect the health of our community as adolescents represent our future. With the increase in misinformation on the internet, it is more important than ever that families trust good sources, ask questions and schedule time with their healthcare provider to get needed vaccines,” said Judy Klein, President of Unity Consortium. "That’s what Adolescent Immunization Action Week is about — taking action for the health of our young people.”

Since 2022, the first week of April has been recognized in communities across the nation to take action to ensure all adolescents and young adults are protected from preventable illnesses through immunization.

Read the resolution in its entirety here.

# # #

Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov