Flu Vaccines Made Mandatory

A new rule that makes it a mandatory requirement to ensure each child has flu vaccines, while they are in Pre School or day care is soon likely to be introduced by the New Jersey Public Health Council. This would make New Jersey a proud achiever of being the first state in the country to introduce this mandate, if approved.

The council has considered four different flu vaccines to protect the child health from pre school days up to sixth grade. They are, flu vaccine followed by another to protect against pneumonia. The other two build up immunity against a fast-killing strain of meningitis called meningococcal disease and lastly an additional booster dose of a three-part shot against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis previously administered.

It is to be highlighted that for public school students, requirement of meningococcal vaccine or flu vaccines administration will also be the first in the nation. Very recently requirement of this vaccine in New Jersey, Massachusetts and other states for high school boarders and students living in dormitories has become utmost essential. Fred Jacobs, states health commissioner, decided to look after this recommendation with special consideration. The students of New Jersey are currently being given a series of nine vaccines against nine different diseases. Therefore the requirement of new vaccines will not be effective till next September.

Administration of new flu vaccines created various arguments at a public hearing in January where around 30 people expressed doubts about the probable side effects and insufficient evidences to prove its protective potency. Also, strong oppositions have taken place at a news conference held at the State House in Trenton. Anyways, a meeting scheduled soon will enable the people to speak out their views at the health department building in Trenton.

Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, New Jerseys deputy commissioner of health and the state epidemiologist stated that the basis to propose administration of new vaccines specially the flu vaccines was the recommendation by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.C.D.C. has declared that children of 5 or younger age with complicated symptoms of flu are hospitalized every year. The alarming proportion is 108 of every 100,000 children with around100 deaths. To avoid this havoc various states have now started to administer new vaccines for Pre School to sixth grade students. Nytimes