Bill Text: NJ S4008 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs Commissioner of Health to establish public awareness campaign concerning importance of vaccinations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-06-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S4008 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S4008-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Directs Commissioner of Health to establish public awareness campaign concerning importance of vaccinations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring the establishment of a public awareness campaign concerning the importance of vaccinations and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Vaccines have aided in reducing the burden of widespread and often fatal diseases, enabling individuals to lead longer and healthier lives while reducing health care costs;
b. Despite the importance of immunizations across the lifespan, from infancy through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, there persists in the public a general lack of awareness regarding vaccines, and a misperception that immunizations are unnecessary and pose a greater risk than the diseases they prevent;
c. Vaccine-preventable diseases, including diseases such as influenza and pneumonia, are a critical public health issue in New Jersey;
d. One way to potentially reduce vaccine-preventable diseases is increased compliance rates for immunization, supported through education and public awareness; and
e. Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as the 33 cases of measles reported in the State by the Department of Health, demonstrate the continuous commitment needed by government health agencies, in partnership with health care providers, in helping the public understand the importance of immunization.
2. a. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner of Children and Families, shall develop, coordinate, implement, and oversee a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate the public on the importance of vaccinations. The goal of the campaign is to encourage New Jersey residents to pursue a lifetime of protection from vaccine-preventable diseases through the use of immunizations. To the extent possible, the Commissioner shall maximize the resources of the department's Vaccine Preventable Disease Program to effectuate the goal of the campaign. The campaign, at a minimum, shall provide the following information:
(1) the immunization schedules for babies and infants, pre-teens and teens, adults, pregnant women, and senior citizens, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
(2) a list of vaccine-preventable diseases, describing such factors as each disease's incubation period, method of transmission, and symptoms;
(3) data regarding the immunization coverage rates of New Jersey residents; and
(4) scientific evidence demonstrating the positive health outcomes associated with immunizations for the individual and the public at large.
b. No later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall:
(1) provide for the development of printed and digital educational materials as outlined in subsection a. of this section, in English, Spanish, and any other language that the commissioner determines is the first language of a significant number of citizens in the State; and
(2) disseminate the educational materials to relevant entities, including, but not limited to, local health agencies and clinics, physicians, health care facilities, pharmacies, libraries, child care facilities, boards of education, and community-based outreach programs and organizations. The commissioner shall also post such information in an easily accessible location of the department's Internet website.
c. The commissioner shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 18 months after the effective date of this act, on the activities and accomplishments of the public awareness campaign.
3. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner of Children and Families, to develop, coordinate, implement, and oversee a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate the public on the importance of vaccinations. The goal of the campaign is to encourage New Jersey residents to pursue a lifetime of protection from vaccine-preventable diseases through the use of immunizations. To the extent possible, the bill directs the commissioner to maximize existing resources within the department's Vaccine Preventable Disease Program to effectuate the goal of the campaign.
Under the bill, the campaign, at a minimum, is required to provide the following information:
(1) the immunization schedules for babies and infants, pre-teens and teens, adults, pregnant women, and senior citizens, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
(2) a list of vaccine-preventable diseases, describing such factors as each disease's incubation period, method of transmission, and symptoms;
(3) data regarding the immunization coverage rates of New Jersey residents; and
(4) scientific evidence demonstrating the positive health outcomes associated with immunizations for the individual and the public at large.
No later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the commissioner is directed to: 1) provide for the development of printed and digital educational materials as outlined under the bill, in English, Spanish, and any other language that the commissioner determines is the first language of a significant number of citizens in the State; and 2) disseminate the educational materials to relevant entities, including, but not limited to, local health agencies and clinics, physicians, health care facilities, pharmacies, libraries, child care facilities, boards of education, and community-based outreach programs and organizations. In addition, the commissioner is directed to post such information in an easily accessible location of the department's Internet website. Finally, the bill requires the commissioner to report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than 18 months after the effective date of the bill, on the activities and accomplishments of the public awareness campaign.
