NJCVC Action Alert! Call Governor Christie and tell him to VETO A-3920

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UPDATE! 1/20/12 @ 11:50am.

The Governor pocket vetoed (A3920) the flu vaccine for healthcare workers! Thank you to all who called and expressed your opposition. Please call his office @ (609)777-2500 or (609)292-6000 to thank him for NOT SIGNING this bill!

From the NJ Legislative website:

POCKET VETO The only type of veto in which the Governor does not return the bill to the Legislature for a possible vote to override. This veto applies only to bills passed within the last 10 days of a 2-year legislative session. The Governor, in essence, “pockets” the bill.

Call Governor Christie and tell him to VETO A-3920
Flu Vaccine for Health Care Workers
609-777-2500 or 609-292-6000

red-phone

In the final hours of the last legislative session on January 9, 2012 the Senate passed A3920/S2984 ( njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A4000/3920_R2.PDF ).

This bill requires all health care facilities to “offer” the flu vaccine to their employees. All employees must show proof of vaccination or sign a waiver declining. They will then be entered into a data base and tracked.

  • This bill is a waste of health care dollars – NJ can’t afford this cost.
  • Health Care workers already have access to the flu vaccine, we don’t need this bill.
  • The bill language follows ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendations which can change and result in adult vaccine mandates, etc.
  • This bill creates a tracking system where a health care worker’s vaccination status will be recorded; this is an invasion of privacy and can lead to mandates.
  • This bill promotes the spread of the flu virus (flu mist is a live virus vaccine that causes the flu).
  • Reports have shown the flu vaccine to be ineffective (Cochrane review 2011 http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab005187.html).

This bill had already passed the Assembly, so now it heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature or veto. The Governor has 45 days from passage to sign the bill. We do not know if and when within these 45 days the bill will be signed.

We need continual calls and e-mails to his office over the next month. An e-mail message can also be sent from state.nj.us/governor/contact/.

Please call Governor Christie’s office
and ask him to veto A3920:
609-777-2500 or 609-292-6000