TRENTON –  Senator Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) issued the following statement:

“The CDC’s decision to alter the childhood immunization schedule at the direction of a presidential memorandum is misguided and deeply concerning. Childhood vaccination policies must be grounded in long-standing medical consensus and the independent judgment of health experts, not political directives that risk undermining confidence in proven, life-saving protections.

"What is especially troubling is that this action injects new volatility into a system that depends on clarity and trust. At a time when vaccination rates are already declining nationwide, creating confusion around established schedules only increases the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases.

"New Jersey is taking a different approach. Yesterday, the Assembly Health Committee advanced legislation to ensure clear, state-based vaccine guidance and to align insurance coverage with recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health, counteracting the instability created by shifting federal actions. By advancing my legislation, S-4894, alongside this effort, we reaffirm our commitment to evidence-based public health policy and ensure that immunization standards in New Jersey remain guided by medical science, not politics. Our responsibility is to protect children, support families, and give health care providers clear and reliable guidance, and that is precisely what we intend to do.”