NJ health officials urge parents to ignore Trump order on childhood vaccines

But that order does not invalidate or supersede New Jersey’s vaccine requirements, which parents and guardians here should continue to follow, said Dr. Raynard E. Washington, the state’s health commissioner.

Trump’s order departs from decades of evidence, Washington added.

“Protecting children from preventable disease is one of the most fundamental responsibilities we hold, and it is one we take seriously,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “Families deserve clear, science-based guidance, not confusion. The evidence behind childhood vaccines is clear, it has not changed, and New Jersey will continue to make sure every family can access the vaccines that keep their children safe.”

New Jersey is a founding member of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a multistate coalition that also rebuked Trump’s order and exhorted parents and guardians to follow the childhood and adolescent immunization schedules issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“These schedules reflect the current scientific evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness and are based on the specific disease risks and healthcare delivery context in the U.S.,” the collaborative said in a statement. “Undermining confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine — used for over five decades — during the largest measles outbreak in decades will lead to additional measles cases and, potentially, deaths. Immunizations save lives, and parents should be able to trust that the health recommendations they receive are based on science.”

Last week, Trump said his new order would align the United States “with common sense and knowledge” when it comes to vaccines for children.

Trump has repeatedly linked vaccines to autism and did so again last week when he announced his order, despite studies debunking any link.

“The claim that they cause autism has been studied exhaustively and disproven. Reviving it does not help families; it draws attention away from the work of keeping children healthy,” Tuesday’s statement from the state Department of Health says.

Tuesday wasn’t the first time state health officials have warned residents against following the Trump administration’s health advice.

Health officials under former Gov. Phil Murphy urged parents in December to ignore the Centers for Disease Control when it reversed its decades-long recommendation that all newborns get hepatitis B vaccines at birth to protect Americans from the incurable liver disease. State lawmakers also passed a law in January meant to bolster the state’s vaccine recommendations and ensure insurance coverage.

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