Immunizations in NJ Mandatory?

Government mulls if parents can opt-out, but what about the Autism link?

TRENTON — A state Senate panel Thursday debated whether to let New Jersey parents exempt their children from vaccines, but took no action on a proposed bill.

Republican Sens. Anthony Bucco and Gerald Cardinale contend the legislation — discussed Thursday by the Senate health committee — would give parents the right to manage their child's health as they deem appropriate.

But medical experts fear such conscientious exemption laws — which have been approved in 19 other states — might allow fatal diseases to make a comeback.

State law requires immunizations as a condition for attending public and private schools, preschools and day care facilities.

This includes immunizations for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, rubella, polio, mumps, chickenpox, the flu and hepatitis B.

While medical experts hail the vaccines for successfully quelling the spread of deadly diseases, some parents fret about giving children dozens of vaccine doses and don't want government dictating their medical decisions.

Barbara Flynn of Summit said her son suffered post-vaccine neurological problems.

"Unvaccinated children are nothing to be afraid of," Flynn said.

The bill would allow the state to keep unvaccinated students from attending school during a disease outbreak. The state health commissioner could also suspend conscientious exemptions in an emergency.

About 81 percent of New Jersey children ages 19 to 35 months have been immunized, tying the state with five others for the 23rd-lowest rate in the nation, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which tracks health care data.

Lawmakers were skeptical. Sen. Robert Gordon, D-Fair Lawn, contrasted claims of how vaccines have prevented diseases with worries by parents the vaccines could cause problems.

"It leaves people like me very confused." Gordon said.