The New Jersey Legislature postponed a final vote last year on a vaccine bill that would have put an end to religious exemptions from vaccinations for all students enrolled in public and private schools and colleges statewide. The vote occurred against a backdrop of recent measles outbreaks in various parts of the state and amidst anti-vaccination mantras of, “Do not touch my child!” and “My God. My body. My right.” Despite clear scientific evidence in favor of the bill and a well-established need for vaccinations to create “herd immunity” to protect the health of all state residents, the state Senate could not muster enough votes for the bill to pass. Fast forward five months, and we find ourselves in the worst pandemic in a century, and possibly ever depending on how the situation evolves in the coming year, due to the global spread of COVID-19. To read the full story.
The time to revisit N.J.’s vaccine law is now
