Council's Board of Health representative briefs council on New Jersey's shift to state vaccine guidance
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Summary
Council member Lopez told the council New Jersey has moved to a state-based immunization schedule under legislation signed in January 2026; Lopez summarized which vaccines remain required for school and child-care attendance and which exemptions the state will permit.
Council member Lopez reported that New Jersey has shifted to a state-based immunization guidance system following legislation signed in January 2026 that grants the New Jersey Department of Health authority to set vaccine schedules and requirements.
Lopez summarized the practical effects the committee had discussed: the state will not follow all recent CDC changes; required vaccines for students entering sixth grade continue to include DTaP, polio, MMR, hepatitis B and varicella, and meningococcal and Tdap are required for certain age groups. Lopez noted that the CDC recently reduced its childhood vaccine recommendations but that New Jersey retains a set of state-required vaccines for school attendance. Children ages 6 to 59 months in child care or preschool must receive an annual influenza vaccination by Nov. 30 under the state rules; COVID-19 vaccination is not required for school attendance. Lopez also noted that New Jersey will continue to permit medical and religious exemptions but not philosophical or moral exemptions.
Lopez presented this as informational background from the Board of Health; there was no council action on the matter at the meeting.
