Parents Resist Flu Shot Requirements For Preschoolers In New Jersey

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Main Category: Immune System / Vaccines
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Flu / Cold / SARS;  Public Health
Article Date: 09 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PST

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As New Jersey Public Health Council mulls over making flu shots obligatory for preschoolers a growing tide of resistance is surfacing among parents who are concerned about government intrusion and potential vaccine hazards.

The Public Health Council will decide on Monday on obligatory flu shots, plus three others. If the decision is a 'Yes', New Jersey will be the first US state to require that children who go to licensed preschool and day care centers have flu shots.

The other shots being considered are a whooping cough booster for sixth-graders, a meningitis vaccine for children aged 11 (and above), and a pneumococcal vaccine for preschoolers.

According to Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, the State Health Department and Governor Jon Corzine have already approved the requirements. It is therefore most likely that the Council will do so as well. Dr. Bresnitz says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) agrees that flu shots should become compulsory for preschoolers who attend licensed preschool and day care centers. He added that authorities in other US states will be watching what is going on in New Jersey with interest.

The number of kids ending up in hospital, or the number of parents having to stay at home to look after their sick children will go down after completion of the vaccine program, Bresnitz believes.

However, several parents do not feel the same way. They say there is no compelling evidence that the vaccines are effective and safe. They are asking the governor's office to halt Monday's vote. Some parents say they should have the right to philosophical objection to vaccine requirements. There is, in fact, a bill which has been sitting in committee for about four years which deals with this very topic (philosophical objection).

Unlike most common vaccines, flu shots do contain mercury, say parents.

Many parents say that unelected officials should not be telling people what they have to put into their children.

New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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