This is an archive page.  The links are no longer being updated.

REMARKS BY:		DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLACE:			Fifth Annual Every Child By Two Conference, Washington, D.C.
DATE:			December 9, 1996

You are the healers and the teachers, the leaders who work day and night to give children the right start in life; to shield them from harm; and to write happy endings for all of them.

I am reminded of that classic children's story, "The Secret Garden," where 11-year-old Mary Lennox has just lost her parents to cholera. Sent to live with her unfriendly uncle, Mary is sentenced to a life of loneliness -- that is, until she finds love, hope and happiness in a special place called "The Secret Garden."

We must create those secret gardens for all of our children, safe havens where they can live and learn and grow up as all children should -- healthy.

But unlike fiction, in real life it doesn't just happen overnight. Cultivating a garden -- or children -- takes water and sunlight, hard work and a full-time commitment to never give up.

And that's exactly what we've done.

From day one, we've promised that we would do more than talk the talk about children. We said we would do it, we would make the health of our children a top priority.

We promised we would fight -- and that we would fight hard -- to protect Medicaid's national guarantee of health care for poor children.

We said, we would not turn Medicaid into an ill-conceived block grant. And we did not do it. We refused to go back. We insisted on moving forward.

Today, infant mortality rates are at an all-time low.

More than 80 percent of mothers are getting prenatal care in their first trimester.

Head Start is better, stronger and giving more children than ever a running start in life.

We've collected nearly $12 billion in overdue child support this year, nearly 50 percent more than just four years ago.

We've dramatically increased funding for child care -- a full $565 million since 1992.

And because of our work, your work, and the work of countless others, immunization rates for preschoolers are now at 75 percent -- that's the highest levels in history. And most vaccine preventable diseases are at an all-time low.

I will always remember the day I stood next to President Clinton -- just two months into his term -- when he promised our country an historic, comprehensive strategy to immunize our youngest and most vulnerable children.

I stand here four years later, proud that we are making good on that promise. Proud that in the last four years, overall funding for childhood immunizations has doubled; proud that every state has an Immunization Action Plan that involves community leaders like you in this room; and proud that, under the President's Childhood Immunization Initiative, our children are the real winners.

Four years later, states are getting more than $100 million to enhance vaccine delivery services -- to help local communities improve access to public health clinics by keeping them open longer and hiring more staff.

Four years later, we've improved surveillance of vaccine- preventable diseases to help ward off future epidemics. We've established new public and private partnerships to educate people about vaccinations and reach at-risk children with everything from mobile vans to Spanish language public service announcements. We're helping thousands of children -- many lacking insurance -- get free vaccines in all 50 states. And we're supporting new research aimed at reducing the number of shots children need -- something our children will definitely thank us for.

Four years later, we stand here with a record of accomplishments -- accomplishments that will make a real difference for our families.

But it's a record to build on, not stand on. Because you and I know that our work is not yet done. Not when about one million two-year-olds still haven't had all their shots. Not when new outbreaks could lurk just around the corner. Not when the costs of treating childhood diseases can be 20, 30 times the cost of administering vaccines for them. And not when too many parents are still unsure about what it means for their children to be fully immunized.

We've got to put the right information into the hands of parents. We've got to find new and more creative ways to reach children and their parents -- where they live and where they work, where they play and where they go to school.

And on that note, I want to commend you for everything you've done to make our schools not only places for learning, but also places for immunizing.

When Betty and I met recently, she told me about all the hard work you've put in -- bringing together schools, health care providers and others in local communities to discuss the potential of school-based strategies and looking for new ways to ensure that all our future students are immunized not by age five, or four or three, but by age two. Every Child By Two.

I believe that as we work to expand access to health care for our children, the concept of expanding school-based preventive care should be seriously explored.

That's why, just a few weeks ago, we funded demonstration projects designed to immunize preschoolers in school clinics in West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Dakota and New York.

I'm looking forward to the results of those studies -- and I know you are too.

But schools aren't the only places we're turning to.

We're working with states and local communities to provide on-site immunization services and information for parents participating in the WIC program.

We've granted welfare reform waivers to 17 states so that they can experiment with tying public assistance to children's immunization status.

We're supporting partnerships between immunization programs and state maternal and child health programs so that we can help raise public awareness, train providers, and develop immunization standards in local health departments.

And today I'm proud to unveil new Public Service Announcements that will help us do even more to educate parents and fight complacency about vaccinations.

Too often, parents depend entirely on doctors and nurses to tell them whether their children have received all their shots.

And too often, well-meaning mothers and fathers -- who are working harder than ever -- don't have the right information about their children's immunization status.

In fact, studies show that if you look at the children who are behind on their shots, many of their parents believe that they are right on schedule.

That's more than frightening. It's downright dangerous.

And it must change.

With this campaign, we want to reach out to these parents all over America, in English and in Spanish.

We want to tell parents that they have the primary responsibility for their children's immunization schedule.

And, we want them to understand that they can never be too sure, and that they should ask -- and not assume -- when it comes to their children's vaccinations -- and their health.

As we say in one of our PSAs, called "Astronaut," "Even If You're Sure, Ask Again." Ask again.

We also have two Spanish-language PSAs: one sounds a warning to parents with a long list of deadly childhood diseases. And in the other, an Hispanic couple grieves over the loss of a daughter, whose tragic death could have been prevented with proper immunization.

All three of these PSAs have one thing in common: They encourage moms and dads to take the initiative. Not just on the first visit to the doctor or during the annual checkup. But every time they step into a doctor's office.

That's why starting this week, these PSAs will be directed at thousands of print and broadcast outlets around the country. And they will include a special toll free number that parents can call to find local providers and further information on childhood immunization: 1-800-232-2522.

When parents see these ads, we want them to feel compelled to check their children's immunization history and make sure they're covered.

But government can't make this happen alone.

That's why I'm pleased to ask three superstars who are helping us get the word out, Dr. Robert Parker, Sylvia Kwan, and Rees Shad, to join me on stage.

Together we will tell all parents: Make sure your children are immunized. It's a passport to their future and their dreams.

We want to make it clear that any child can grow up in America to become an astronaut and explore the heavens like Robert Parker.

They can become an architect, like Sylvia Kwan, and design dazzling new buildings.

Or they can even live the exciting life of a rock musician, like Rees Shad.

But we also know that if our children don't get all their shots, they could dim those dreams before they can catch fire.

And I'd like to thank all three of you -- as professionals, as parents and as citizens -- for coming here to help us lead this fight.

Because, whether we are astronauts or architects, rock stars or teachers, nurses or government officials, we all have a responsibility. A responsibility to ensure that future years are free of outbreaks. That all children under age two get the shots that they need, when they need them. And, that all parents will be able to sleep better at night knowing that their children are safe from the threat of deadly diseases.

Working together we can and must do all of that.

And when we do, "The Secret Garden" for today's children, will grow and blossom and thrive, just as it did in the story, and just as all children should be able to do.

Thank you.