New Jersey requires influenza vaccinations for children.
Each year, there are approximately 200,000 hospitalizations due to influenza. In order to reduce this number, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control recommends routine annual vaccinations of children 6 months to 18 years of age. In New Jersey, the Department of Health and Senior Services oversees the regulations in regard to influenza vaccinations and anyone wishing to send their children to school must abide by them.
Age Requirements for Children
According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, children younger than 4 years of age have hospitalization rates as high as 500 for every 100,000. Therefore, children from 6 months through 59 months of age attending any licensed preschool or child-care facility on or after September 1, 2008, must receive at least one influenza vaccine between September 1 and December 31 of each year. Children younger than 6 months of age cannot receive the influenza vaccine.
High-risk Categories for Children and Adolescents
High-risk children should receive vaccinations.
Children and adolescents in the high-risk category should continue to receive vaccinations. Physical complications that qualify as high-risk are: chronic pulmonary, including asthma; cardiovascular; renal; hepatic; cognitive; neurological or neuromuscular; hematological; or metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Other high-risk persons are residents of long-term care facilities and pregnant adolescents.
Time Frame
Influenza vaccines are generally distributed to health care centers by October and November. The time frame is coordinated with the approximate four-month influenza season. If a child is not immunized by the December 31 deadline, they are still required to receive one on January 1 or later. The four-month time frame was created to make monitoring the immunization status of a large number of children more manageable.
Recommendations for Adults
Vaccinations are highly recommended for adults over 50 years of age.
Annual vaccinations for adults depend on age and risk category. Vaccinations are highly recommended for: adults 50 years of age or older, health care workers, caregivers for children less than five years of age, or caregivers for adults more than 50 years of age. Other high risks include: pregnant women; residents of nursing homes; and people with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurological, neuromuscular, hematological, or metabolic disorders, including diabetes.
Medical and Religious Exemptions
New Jersey immunization regulations allows medical and religious exemptions to vaccinations. Objections that are philosophical, moral, or secular are not allowed. Medical reasons must be written by medical professionals stating that the vaccination would be "contraindicated for a specific period of time."
Many religions have beliefs that the human body is in the hands of God and vaccinations manipulate this belief. Some vaccines have animal ingredients and the harming of animals also go against their beliefs. For these religious exemptions, a written statement by the parent or guardian must clearly state why the vaccination would "conflict with the pupil's exercise of bona fide religious tenets or practices."
Tags: cardiovascular renal, cardiovascular renal hepatic, chronic pulmonary, cognitive neurological, cognitive neurological neuromuscular, Department Health, Department Health Senior
