COURT HOUSE — If you read the newspaper or watch TV, you will have realized that vaccination is a hot topic.
Many parents are concerned that immunizations cause or contribute to childhood chronic diseases like autism, diabetes, asthma, ADHD, and arthritis.
In the State of New Jersey, if a parent holds religious beliefs that conflict with their child receiving immunizations, he or she can claim a religious exemption. There is however, no exemption available for parents that have conscientious or philosophical objections to immunizations, but not religious ones.
Numerous parents feel that like many other states, New Jersey should allow for a conscientious objection to vaccination, and this was the impetus behind a group of seven parents meeting with Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) at his office on May 1.
The parents included a police officer, a physical therapist, a student and several work/stay-at-home moms, one of whom has an autistic child. This mother told of the devastating experience of her child developing regressive autism after being immunized while sick with a fever and a cold. Another told of her son screaming for seven hours straight after receiving many immunizations all at once.
All of the parents agreed that they should have the right to decide whether or not to immunize their children.
Van Drew, who is also a dentist, listened very intently and agreed that their concerns were valid, and assured the parents that the matter of conscientious exemptions definitely warranted a closer look. He emphasized that he didn’t want to see the return of deadly diseases that had been virtually eliminated, a point of view with which the parents definitely agreed.
Many of the parents felt that the “one size fits all” approach of immunization is damaging to children’s health. The point was raised that a 200-pound adult male receives the same vaccine dose as a 10-pound baby, and nowhere else in medicine is this practice of not adjusting dose to body-weight found.
The group presented the Senator with information on immunization side effects, and the skyrocketing future cost of providing educational services for the exploding autistic population.
Van Drew agreed that he and his team would sign Bill A260/S1071, which provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunization.
Everyone agreed that over the last two decades the number of immunizations mandated by law has grown exponentially, to the point where children now must receive up to thirty-six doses of immunizations before kindergarten. The practice of combining multiple immunizations at one doctor’s visit was dis-cussed, as well as why parents are encouraged to give children shots even when they’re sick.
One mom was told by a nurse at her son’s pediatrician’s office that kids got so many colds and fevers that if they waited until the child was well to immunize, “they would never get all the shots in.” That same mother was told to leave the pediatrician’s practice after she refused to have her child immunized while he was sick.
The meeting ended with Van Drew promising to research the matter further and pledging his support of Bill A260/S1071. The parents that were present thanked the Senator for his valuable time and his willingness to listen carefully to their concerns for the health and safety of their children.
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