Oppose A1991/S941
Requires Meningitis Vaccines for NJ Residential College Students
Currently, all vaccination laws are regulated at the state level. A1991/S941 will mandate, for residential college students, any meningitis vaccines that the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices), a federal agency, recommends. All future ACIP meningitis vaccine recommendations would automatically be required for all NJ residential college students. This bill will relinquish state control to a federal agency.
Some other facts to consider:
According to the manufacture’s package inserts, the rate of “serious adverse events” from meningitis B vaccine are 2.1% for Bexsero (GlaxoSmithKlein), and 1.8% for Trumenba, (Pfizer).
Based on this information, if all 243,000 NJ college undergraduate students receive either of these vaccinations, approximately 5,000 will experience “severe adverse events,” including death. In 2016, there were 2 cases at Rutgers University, treated with antibiotics and fully recovered.
The risk of “SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS” from the vaccine is much higher than the risk of becoming ill with bacterial meningitis.
At a cost of $100-125 a dose, with three doses recommended, it will cost over $73,000,000 to vaccinate New Jersey’s undergraduates.
Although Bacterial Meningitis can be a serious disease, it is not common and is very difficult to acquire. The best outcomes in cases of bacterial meningitis occur when the infection is detected early and antibiotics are administered. Public Health initiatives to enhance the awareness of the early symptoms of the infection and the importance of securing appropriate treatment would be impactful. There is no public health situation present that warrants infringing on a person’s right to decide what medical treatment and intervention is appropriate for him/her and allowing doctors and students to make these decisions for health care is essential.
Please DO NOT support A1991/S941.
The bill will relinquish state control to a federal agency, with unelected members, who are unaccountable to the citizens of New Jersey.
We must preserve the ability of our state to regulate vaccines for NJ residents.