NJ joins lawsuit to restore child vaccine recommendations
By: Scott Fallon
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... New Jersey and 14 other states sued U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on February 24 [2026] in an attempt to restore the number of recommended childhood vaccines that were cut by seven last month. [01/2026]
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The lawsuit is the latest move by New Jersey officials in their ongoing battle with President Donald Trump's administration over public health changes, including the abrupt decision on January 5 [2026] to remove rotavirus, influenza, meningococoal disease, COVID-19, and Hepatitis A and B from the childhood vaccine schedule.
..... "RFK Jr. replaced established experts with an unqualified vaccine panel and issued a rogue vaccine schedule that gambles with children's health and lives," New Jersey acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement.
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The move comes as vaccination rates have dropped in New jersey in recent years, with the number of fully vaccinated children falling form 95.4% in the 2017-2018 school year to 91.3% in 2024-2025.
..... The decline, which mirrors a national trend, has public health officials and physicians concerned that some preventable diseases may come back into circulation.
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The U.S. has seen a record number of measles outbreaks decades after the disease was considered eradicated due to mass inculcation efforts.
..... New Jersey broke away from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is under Kennedy's leadership, to form a coalition with other Northeast states to develop public health guidance during Governor Phil Murphy's tenure.
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That opposition has continued under Governor Mikie Sherrill, who took office in January. [2026] Her nominee to the state helaht commissioner, Raynard Washington, called the CDC's vaccine policies "reckless" and said they will lead to "preventable suffering and death."
Now only for high-risk groups
..... Under the federal changes, which took effect immediately, vaccination for the seven diseases is now being recommended only for high-risk groups, or is being left to "shared-decision-making" between parents and physicians.
..... CDC officials said that this aligns with some European countries, notably Denmark, which has fewer vaccine recommendations.
..... The lawsuit argues that he CDC's decision memo was not based on any new scientific evidence or any recommendation by a "lawfully" constituted" Advisory committee on Immunization Practices.
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Kennedy replaced 17 members of the committee last year [2025] with many vaccine critics.
..... The other states in the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.