Posted on 12/07/2007 2:59:40 PM PST by Malacoda
TRENTON, N.J. -- Parents concerned about possible vaccine dangers and government intrusion are trying to block New Jersey from becoming the first state to require flu shots for preschoolers.
The Public Health Council on Monday is set to consider whether New Jersey should require flu shots as well as three additional vaccines. If approved, New Jersey would become the first state to require annual flu shots for children attending licensed preschool or day care centers.
State health department officials also want to require a pneumococcal vaccine for preschoolers, a booster shot to fight whooping cough for sixth-graders, and meningitis shots for school children as young as 11.
According to deputy health commissioner Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, the new requirements already have been approved by the state health department and Gov. Jon S. Corzine; they are expected to be rubber-stamped by the Council on Monday.
Bresnitz said the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports the new requirements and that public health officials in other states are watching and likely to follow suit.
Bresnitz said he's convinced the vaccines will reduce the incidence of the diseases, preventable hospitalizations, and the need for parents to stay home with sick children.
"It's a great day for public health in New Jersey," he said.
But some parents say there is inadequate proof the vaccines are safe and effective.
At a Statehouse news conference Friday, about a dozen parents protested the new requirements and urged people to call the governor's office to ask him to stop Monday's vote.
"This will be the first jurisdiction anywhere in the world to make the flu shot mandatory" for school attendance, said Jon Gilmore, a board member of Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning, or ACHAMP. He blames his 7-year-old son's autism on vaccines.
Bresnitz said he didn't know whether jurisdictions outside this country have required flu shots for school kids.
Parents on Friday also urged support for a bill that would give parents a right to "philosophical objection" to vaccine mandates. The bill has been sitting in a committee for four years without action.
"It is not right for the government and unelected councils to dictate what we put into our children," said Sue Collins, co-founder of the New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination.
Corzine, asked about the mandates Friday, said he didn't "want to speak to the specifics."
Several parents noted that unlike other common vaccines, most of the influenza vaccine available contains mercury, a toxic heavy metal that has been widely blamed by parents as a cause of autism, despite the lack of any such evidence.
A few speakers also said there's no research showing that it is safe to give children all the vaccines required today -- more than 30 for New Jersey children.
"They're really being treated as guinea pigs, and not all children can handle all vaccines," said Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, R-Bergen, sponsor of the philosophical objection bill.
The new vaccines New Jersey backs are recommended by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups.
PINGING to you
Sorry, this is a public health measure. The vaccinations will save many lives.
NJ going crazy.
How many of these bureacrappers have stock in the big drug companies?
“FormerACLUmember” - not sufficiently former.
For the most elderly and ill, yes. For the rest of the general population, bull.
Ridiculous.
“this is a public health measure. The vaccinations will save many lives”
It has been documented that vitamin D works even better than flu shots, but there is strangely no government interest in that. I get a mercury-free flu shot for free every year from my employer, and also take vitamin D every day during the winter.
My kids get their flu shots but it gets my back up bigtime when someone tells me I have to do it.
Eventually we’ll just turn our kids over to the state to raise for us and hopefully get some visitation time.
Hey no fair leaking the memo!!
They probably don’t need to vaccinate everyone. Just offer the vaccine, and you’ll probably get enough takers without the need to force anyone.
No it won't, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/flu.htm
Number of deaths: 1,100
Deaths per 100,000 population: 0.4
This is just more worthless nanny stating.
E? or B? but D? I dunno,I take a multivitamin daily and havent had a sniffle in 5yrs
Unbelievable! When is a kid supposed to be a kid? Those are the most carefree years of their lives.
Look how many deaths were caused by the Swine Flu vaccine.
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