Amid weakening federal recommendations for vaccines, the health care industry is applauding New Jersey’s decision to rely on medical experts beyond the Y.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine panel under a law signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday.
Until now, the New Jersey Department of Health has relied solely on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for guidance concerning vaccinations and immunizations.
The policy change is a response to substantial changes in federal vaccine policy. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the CDC’s vaccine panel has made some controversial decisions, such as voting to end the universal recommendation for hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination.
Five days into the New Year, the CDC went a step further when it cut the number of childhood vaccines it recommends.
“This year, we have seen the federal government diverge and waffle on evidence-based recommendations from trusted health professionals – rewriting federal vaccine guidance to the detriment of our communities and putting our most vulnerable residents at risk, particularly our children,” Murphy said in one of his last statements as governor.
“We take seriously our responsibility to preserve and protect public health, which is why we have mobilized quickly to mitigate the harmful impact of these dangerous policy changes. Today’s bill signing is yet another action by our Administration to provide equitable access to vaccines, achieve community protection, and build sustained trust in vaccinations,” said Murphy, a Democrat leaving office Tuesday.
The legislation requires the state Department of Health to also consider guidance from nationally recognized medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Physicians. The revised rule does not add any new vaccination requirements for school attendance.
The legislation takes effect immediately. The state Senate and Assembly — both controlled by Democrats — passed the bill largely along party lines.
The policy change ensures that New Jersey can “benefit from the wisdom and recommendations of the most highly regarded experts across the country,” said Debbie Hart, president and CEO of BioNJ, a trade group representing over 400 life science organizations in New Jersey.
“Vaccines are one of the most critical biomedical innovations in the history of medicine, preventing the spread and alleviating the impact of innumerable diseases. We are fortunate to live in a time when some of the worst maladies that humanity has ever confronted have been effectively eliminated by the technology of vaccines,” Hart said in a statement.
Additionally, the legislation signed this week also requires health insurers to cover the full cost of vaccines recommended by the New Jersey Department of Health.
Ensuring continued coverage for vaccines is a win for New Jersey patients, said Chrissy Buteas, president and CEO of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, a trade group for biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies in the state.
“A patient’s ability to access a medicine, medical device, vaccine, diagnostic tool or medical technology is critical to maintaining individual, family and societal health and wellness, and this bill expands patient access,” Buteas said in a statement.