New Jersey Health Freedom Advocates Lobby for Parents’ Rights Over State Control Over Vaccine Policy

Health freedom advocates on Monday returned to the New Jersey State House with the same spirit of determination that carried us through the “Battle of Trenton” years ago, when health freedom groups, parents and practitioners worked in unison to preserve the religious exemption in New Jersey.

In that same spirit, health freedom groups like NJ Stands Up, Innovative Parenting, NJ PHIPAC, and Children’s Health Defense New Jersey came together for a powerful lobbying day to defend parental rights and medical freedom.

This time, the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee advanced S4894 and S4726 — two bills amended and merged just before the hearing to shift vaccine recommendation authority to the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). The bill would require insurers to cover any NJDOH-recommended shot.

The room buzzed with purpose as parents, advocates and community members showed once again that protecting our children remains at the heart of everything we do.

Under this amended legislation, the NJDOH would assume control over vaccine policy, replacing federal guidance, while insurers would be required to cover any state-recommended immunizations.

Opponents urged lawmakers to slow the process, stressing that public trust in health agencies is already fragile. Several speakers reminded the committee that “following the science” has not always aligned with real-world outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that families deserve honest, transparent guidance they can rely on.

Sen. Holly Schepisi questioned why healthy children are still being recommended to get COVID-19 shots when several European nations have pulled back.

And when Sen. Robert Singer pressed a supporting physician about pharmaceutical grant funding, the conversation highlighted a growing concern that parents know all too well: pharmaceutical influence touches every corner of children’s lives, from doctors’ offices and schools to churches and the policymaking process itself.

The bill’s supporters repeatedly dismissed public concerns, even when parents pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s panel of vaccine advisers recently removed its long-standing recommendation that every U.S. newborn receive a hepatitis B vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth.

Importantly, access to that vaccine has not been removed — only the recommendation has changed, which underscores why families want state policy grounded in updated science rather than outdated assumptions.

While supporters framed the legislation as a simple effort to improve “accessibility,” community members made it clear that children must never become collateral damage in political battles.

They emphasized that informed consent, transparency and accountability must come first. True accessibility, they argued, exists only when families are given honest information, meaningful choice and full respect for parental rights.

The New Jersey legislature is signaling that it is washing its hands of its responsibility by handing critical decision-making power over to the NJDOH. Despite significant pushback by parents and advocates, the bill moved forward with a 5-3 vote and has now been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

The NJDOH is considering regulatory changes to N.J.A.C. 8:57 that could expand state control over health data, weaken transparency and place religious exemptions at risk.

Taken together, these legislative and regulatory moves should concern every parent. We have already seen how quickly “recommendations” can turn into mandates during COVID-19 — a reminder that nothing should be taken lightly and informed consent must remain non-negotiable.

Now is not the time to let political agendas, personal differences or competing opinions dilute our efforts. This moment calls for strategic, united action by parents, grandparents, advocates and organizations standing shoulder-to-shoulder with one clear purpose: holding our legislators accountable.

We must insist that they move beyond pharmaceutical industry talking points, genuinely follow the science and listen to the families who are directly affected by their decisions.

Parents and grandparents spoke with unmistakable clarity: they do not trust the recommendations of agencies, doctors, or lawmakers whose positions appear aligned with industry interests. They are demanding real informed consent, recommendations grounded in current science and a working relationship with elected officials — not an appointed, unaccountable bureaucratic body making decisions behind closed doors.

This moment requires courage, coordination and conviction. Our responsibility to protect our children is larger than any political identity or personal divide. When we act in unison, we become a force that cannot be ignored.

Now is the time to act.

Please sign our action alert, share it widely and stand with your community in making your voice impossible for lawmakers to overlook. Let’s put our why — protecting our children, preserving informed consent and demanding genuine science-based guidance — before any political agenda.

Our unity and vigilance are the strongest tools we have to ensure that decisions affecting our children remain transparent, accountable and rooted in real science.

Together, we can and will shape a safer future for New Jersey’s families.

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Stephanie Locricchio

Stephanie Locricchio is the Senior Advocacy Manager at Children’s Health Defense, where she empowers families to use their voices, hold powerful industries accountable, and make informed decisions about their children’s health.