NJ Mandates Vaccines For Preschoolers
6 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // December 10th, 2007 // 4:21 pm
Children as young as six months will be required to get annual flu shots to attend preschool or day care following a vote today by the Public Health Council, which also mandated three other vaccines, including two for sixth-graders, reports The Star-Ledger of New Jersey (which owns Pharmalot).
The vote makes New Jersey the first state to require annual flu shots for children attending preschool or day care. State health officials say the new vaccine mandates - which take effect in the 2008-09 school year - will reduce disease, hospitalizations and the need for parents to stay home with sick children. The council approved the measure 5-2, with one abstention, despite protests from parents concerned about vaccine dangers. It must still be approved by the state health commissioner, who is expected to sign the directive.
Oponents of the measure say there is inadequate proof the vaccines are both safe and effective. Opponents include the New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination.
The new rules say: Children aged 6 months to 59 months must get the flu shot each year to attend preschool or day care; children two months to 59 months old also must get the pneumonia, or pneumococcal, vaccine; a Diptheria-Pertussis-Tetanus (DPT shot) booster is now required for sixth-graders to attend school, and a meningitis shot also is now required for sixth-graders.
Jean
This is terrible. Our children do not need all of these shots. Our children are the sickest they have ever been because of all of these shots weakening their immune system. When is it going to stop?
Holly
Our poor NJ kids. 1 in 60 NJ boys already have autism. Our only saving grace is more and more moms are saying no and going for religious exemptions.
Judah
The Public Health Council pushed this through without adequate public comment, and State Epidemiologist Bresnitz deliberately advanced this during the lame duck session of the legislature, and when the Health Commissioner is about to leave office. In addition, there are member of the PHC who have clear conflicts of interest, since they’ve taken money from vaccine manufacturers. When will the public begin to hold their elected and appointed officials to a higher standard? How many more neurotoxins have to be injected into children before this begins to happen?
Dr. Art
I am a physician, and I am appalled by what is happening in NJ. The root of the problem is in government-industrial-military complex needing to exert their control over the population. People in the know are aware the risk and ineffectiveness of vaccinations on the individual level. The level you and I and moms and pops care about. What they are telling you though is that vaccinations are good and must do in order to prevent common childhood diseases, this is only true when applied to mass population. In other words, it doesn’t benefit individuals, and may in fact be harmful, but may be useful in preventing certain outbreaks. Just remember you have an option to opt out by taking a religious exemption and spreading the word. Act now, be an individual!
Ian Claridge
I cant believe that this can be forced on anyone.What is the USA coming to ? sounds more like Russia to me. I will never have a flu shot in my life,68 years without one so far,never get sick either.
Susannah Rose
Terrifying. Who is getting rich off this? How can you trust the people making these decisions? These people are deliberately harming our children and getting away with it!