{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tonko.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4034", "Tonko Spotlights Constituent Stories of Children\u2019s Vaccine Access Problems During Hearing", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "NY", "Paul Tonko", "T000469", "tonko.house.gov", "tonko", "https://tonko.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Congressman Paul D. Tonko questioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing today and highlighted constituent voices who had shared their struggles accessing RSV and other vaccines to protect their infants and young children.\n\nDuring his questions, Tonko referenced a letter he recently sent CDC alongside his two colleagues, Congresswoman Kim Schrier and Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo \u2014 both of whom are pediatricians \u2014 calling on the agency to address this issue and ensure that Americans have the resources they need to protect their children and loved ones.\n\nListen to Rep. Tonko\u2019s remarks HERE and see below as prepared for delivery.\n\nSeasonal RSV typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but in some cases the virus can cause serious illness and hospitalization. Infants and young children are at a particularly high risk of serious illness from RSV infection.\n\nThis is the first year there\u2019s an RSV vaccine for the youngest children, which is an incredible advancement.\n\nDr. Cohen, what do parents need to know about the current RSV season and what steps can they take to keep their kids healthy?\n\nIn my district, I know that parents have heard CDC\u2019s message to get their children vaccinated and there is high demand.\n\nUnfortunately, parents in my district are having trouble finding the vaccine due to shortages, which I know CDC is aware of.\n\nI also am hearing from many constituents about access issues for COVID-19 vaccines for children under three years old.\n\nFor example, Heather from Delmar, New York, contacted me and shared that she had been trying to find a vaccine for her two-year-old child, but there were no available options.\n\nThe closest location that would offer the vaccine to children under three was nearly two hours away in Hartford, Connecticut.\n\nI\u2019m also hearing about access issues for the RSV immunization for children and pregnant individuals. A mother from Albany, New York shared that her toddler has asthma and is considered at a more severe risk for infection complications, yet the immunization is not available locally for her son.\n\nIn response to these calls from constituents I reached out to two of my colleagues here in Congress who are both pediatricians: Congresswoman Schrier and Congresswoman Caraveo.\n\nThey shared my concern for the health and well-being of many of our youngest and most vulnerable constituents. With that in mind, this week we joined together to send a letter to CDC on pediatric vaccine access.\n\nM. Chair, I\u2019d like to enter this letter for the record.\n\nI look forward to a complete response to this letter, but in the meantime, I have a few questions for you specific to the RSV vaccine.\n\nDr. Cohen, how is CDC working with FDA and manufacturers to respond to the shortage of pediatric RSV vaccines?\n\nLooking ahead, is there anything that Congress should be doing now to help alleviate current and future pediatric RSV vaccine shortages?", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://tonko.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4034"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6843173652887344, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}