UPDATE! 1/20/12 @ 11:50am.

The Governor pocket vetoed (A3920) the flu vaccine for healthcare workers! Thank you to all who called and expressed your opposition. Please call his office @ (609)777-2500 or (609)292-6000 to thank him for NOT SIGNING this bill!

From the NJ Legislative website:

POCKET VETO The only type of veto in which the Governor does not return the bill to the Legislature for a possible vote to override. This veto applies only to bills passed within the last 10 days of a 2-year legislative session. The Governor, in essence, “pockets” the bill.

Call Governor Christie and tell him to VETO A-3920
Flu Vaccine for Health Care Workers
609-777-2500 or 609-292-6000

In the final hours of the last legislative session on January 9, 2012 the Senate passed A3920/S2984 ( njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A4000/3920_R2.PDF ).

This bill requires all health care facilities to “offer” the flu vaccine to their employees. All employees must show proof of vaccination or sign a waiver declining. They will then be entered into a data base and tracked.

• This bill is a waste of health care dollars – NJ can’t afford this cost.
  
• Health Care workers already have access to the flu vaccine, we don’t need this bill.
  
• The bill language follows ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendations which can change and result in adult vaccine mandates, etc.
  
• This bill creates a tracking system where a health care worker’s vaccination status will be recorded; this is an invasion of privacy and can lead to mandates.
  
• This bill promotes the spread of the flu virus (flu mist is a live virus vaccine that causes the flu).
  
• Reports have shown the flu vaccine to be ineffective (Cochrane review 2011 http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab005187.html).

This bill had already passed the Assembly, so now it heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature or veto. The Governor has 45 days from passage to sign the bill. We do not know if and when within these 45 days the bill will be signed.

We need continual calls and e-mails to his office over the next month. An e-mail message can also be sent from state.nj.us/governor/contact/.

Please call Governor Christie’s office
and ask him to veto A3920:
609-777-2500 or 609-292-6000

Call and e-mail your Senator and ask them to vote NO on this legislation.  This is the final step before it hits the Governor’s desk for his signature. 

Please call and e-mail your Senator ASAP.  Contact them today (Friday) as well as Monday.   Senators e-mail address are sen(last name)@njleg.org.  Calls are important because e-mails are often checked by staff members and messages may not get to Senators in a timely fashion.  You can find Senator contact info. at  http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp

This bill S2984, is identical to A3920.    Ask them to vote NO on A3920/S2984.  We can’t afford any more expenses in NJ.  This bill could be a hardship for some facilities that may not have the staff and space to provide this shot.  Health Care facilities can already provide this for their workers it doesn’t need to be required.

This bill will require health care facilities to “offer” influenza vaccine to health care workers and “track” those who have received the vaccine and those who refuse the vaccine. This opens the door for vaccine mandates for adults. Records will be maintained regarding who has received this vaccine and who has declined it. 

• This bill is a waste of health care dollars – NJ can’t afford this cost
• Health Care workers already have access to the flu vaccine, we don’t need this bill.
• The bill language follows ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendations which can change and result in adult vaccine mandates, etc.
• This bill promotes the spread of the flu virus (flu mist is a live virus vaccine that causes the flu)
• Reports have shown the flu vaccine to be ineffective (Cochran review 2011 http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab005187.html)

A3920 Requires health care facilities to offer influenza vaccination to their health care workers.
2nd Reading in the Senate

Identical Bill Number: S2984   

Conaway, Herb, Jr.   as Primary Sponsor
Conners, Jack   as Primary Sponsor
Ramos, Ruben J., Jr.   as Primary Sponsor
Wagner, Connie   as Co-Sponsor
Benson, Daniel R.   as Co-Sponsor
Chivukula, Upendra J.   as Co-Sponsor
                    
________________________________________
5/5/2011 Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee
5/19/2011 Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading
12/5/2011 Assembly Floor Amendment Passed (Conaway)
12/15/2011 Passed by the Assembly (55-13-2)
12/15/2011 Received in the Senate without Reference, 2nd Reading

Introduced – 4 pages PDF Format    HTML Format
Statement – AHE 5/19/11 – 2 pages PDF Format    HTML Format
Reprint – 3 pages PDF Format    HTML Format
Floor Statement – Assembly 12/5/11 1R – 1 pages PDF Format    HTML Format
Reprint – 3 pages PDF Format    HTML Format
________________________________________
Committee Voting:
AHE  5/19/2011  -  r/Aca  -  Yes {10}  No {0}  Not Voting {1}  Abstains {0}  - 
Roll Call
    
Conaway, Herb, Jr. (C) – Yes   
Wagner, Connie (V) – Yes   
Angelini, Mary Pat – Yes
Benson, Daniel R. – Yes   
Green, Jerry – Yes   
Handlin, Amy H. – Yes
Munoz, Nancy F. – Yes   
Polistina, Vincent J. – Yes   
Quigley, Joan M. – Not Voting
Riley, Celeste M. – Yes   
Tucker, Cleopatra G. – Yes   

Session Voting:
Asm.  12/15/2011  -  3RDG FINAL PASSAGE   -  Yes {55}  No {13}  Not Voting {9}  Abstains {2}  - 

Roll Call
    
Albano, Nelson T. – Yes   
Amodeo, John F. – Yes   
Angelini, Mary Pat – Yes
Barnes, Peter J., III – Yes   
Benson, Daniel R. – Yes   
Bramnick, Jon M. – Yes
Bucco, Anthony M. – No   
Burzichelli, John J. – Yes   
Caputo, Ralph R. – Yes
Carroll, Michael Patrick – Yes   
Casagrande, Caroline – Yes   
Chiusano, Gary R. – No
Chivukula, Upendra J. – Yes   
Ciattarelli, Jack M. – Yes   
Conaway, Herb, Jr. – Yes
Coughlin, Craig J. – Yes   
Coutinho, Albert – Yes   
Coyle, Denise M. – Not Voting
Cryan, Joseph – Yes   
Dancer, Ronald S. – No   
DeAngelo, Wayne P. – Yes
DeCroce, Alex – No   
DiCicco, Domenick, Jr. – Not Voting   
DiMaio, John – No
Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. – Yes   
Egan, Joseph V. – Yes   
Evans, Elease – Yes
Fuentes, Angel – Yes   
Giblin, Thomas P. – Not Voting   
Gove, DiAnne C. – No
Green, Jerry – Yes   
Greenwald, Louis D. – Yes   
Gusciora, Reed – Not Voting
Handlin, Amy H. – Not Voting   
Holzapfel, James W. – Not Voting   
Jasey, Mila M. – Yes
Johnson, Gordon M. – Yes   
Lampitt, Pamela R. – Yes   
Mainor, Charles – Yes
Malone, Joseph R., III – No   
McHose, Alison Littell – No   
McKeon, John F. – Yes
Milam, Matthew W. – Yes   
Moriarty, Paul D. – Not Voting   
Munoz, Nancy F. – Yes
Nardello, Gerry – Yes   
O’Donnell, Jason – Yes   
O’Scanlon, Declan J., Jr. – Yes
Oliver, Sheila Y. – Yes   
Peterson, Erik – No   
Polistina, Vincent J. – Yes
Pou, Nellie – Yes   
Prieto, Vincent – Yes   
Quigley, Joan M. – Yes
Quijano, Annette – Yes   
Ramos, Ruben J., Jr. – Yes   
Rible, David P. – Abstain
Riley, Celeste M. – Yes   
Rudder, Scott – Not Voting   
Rumana, Scott T. – Abstain
Rumpf, Brian E. – No   
Russo, David C. – Yes   
Ryan, Kevin J. – Yes
Schaer, Gary S. – Yes   
Schroeder, Robert – No   
Singleton, Troy – Yes
Spencer, L. Grace – Yes   
Stender, Linda – Not Voting   
Thompson, Samuel D. – Yes
Tucker, Cleopatra G. – Yes   
Vainieri Huttle, Valerie – Yes   
Vandervalk, Charlotte – No
Voss, Joan M. – Yes   
Wagner, Connie – Yes   
Watson Coleman, Bonnie – Yes
Webber, Jay – Yes   
Wilson, Gilbert L. – Yes   
Wisniewski, John S. – Yes
Wolfe, David W. – No   

Session Voting:
Asm.  12/15/2011  -  3RDG FINAL PASSAGE   -  Yes {55}  No {13}  Not Voting {9}  Abstains {2}

	Albano, Nelson T. – Yes	Amodeo, John F. – Yes	Angelini, Mary Pat – Yes
	Barnes, Peter J., III – Yes	Benson, Daniel R. – Yes	Bramnick, Jon M. – Yes
	Bucco, Anthony M. – No	Burzichelli, John J. – Yes	Caputo, Ralph R. – Yes
	Carroll, Michael Patrick – Yes	Casagrande, Caroline – Yes	Chiusano, Gary R. – No
	Chivukula, Upendra J. – Yes	Ciattarelli, Jack M. – Yes	Conaway, Herb, Jr. – Yes
	Coughlin, Craig J. – Yes	Coutinho, Albert – Yes	Coyle, Denise M. – Not Voting
	Cryan, Joseph – Yes	Dancer, Ronald S. – No	DeAngelo, Wayne P. – Yes
	DeCroce, Alex – No	DiCicco, Domenick, Jr. – Not Voting	DiMaio, John – No
	Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. – Yes	Egan, Joseph V. – Yes	Evans, Elease – Yes
	Fuentes, Angel – Yes	Giblin, Thomas P. – Not Voting	Gove, DiAnne C. – No
	Green, Jerry – Yes	Greenwald, Louis D. – Yes	Gusciora, Reed – Not Voting
	Handlin, Amy H. – Not Voting	Holzapfel, James W. – Not Voting	Jasey, Mila M. – Yes
	Johnson, Gordon M. – Yes	Lampitt, Pamela R. – Yes	Mainor, Charles – Yes
	Malone, Joseph R., III – No	McHose, Alison Littell – No	McKeon, John F. – Yes
	Milam, Matthew W. – Yes	Moriarty, Paul D. – Not Voting	Munoz, Nancy F. – Yes
	Nardello, Gerry – Yes	O’Donnell, Jason – Yes	O’Scanlon, Declan J., Jr. – Yes
	Oliver, Sheila Y. – Yes	Peterson, Erik – No	Polistina, Vincent J. – Yes
	Pou, Nellie – Yes	Prieto, Vincent – Yes	Quigley, Joan M. – Yes
	Quijano, Annette – Yes	Ramos, Ruben J., Jr. – Yes	Rible, David P. – Abstain
	Riley, Celeste M. – Yes	Rudder, Scott – Not Voting	Rumana, Scott T. – Abstain
	Rumpf, Brian E. – No	Russo, David C. – Yes	Ryan, Kevin J. – Yes
	Schaer, Gary S. – Yes	Schroeder, Robert – No	Singleton, Troy – Yes
	Spencer, L. Grace – Yes	Stender, Linda – Not Voting	Thompson, Samuel D. – Yes
	Tucker, Cleopatra G. – Yes	Vainieri Huttle, Valerie – Yes	Vandervalk, Charlotte – No
	Voss, Joan M. – Yes	Wagner, Connie – Yes	Watson Coleman, Bonnie – Yes
	Webber, Jay – Yes	Wilson, Gilbert L. – Yes	Wisniewski, John S. – Yes
	Wolfe, David W. – No

(Please pass along to friends and family, especially those in the health care field)

S2984 is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Health Committee this Thursday, September 8, 2011.

This bill is an act concerning influenza vaccination of certain health care workers.

This bill will require health care facilities to “offer” influenza vaccine to health care workers and track those who have received the vaccine and those who refuse the vaccine. This opens the door for vaccine mandates for adults. Records will be maintained regarding who has received this vaccine and who has declined it.

• This bill is a waste of health care dollars – NJ can’t afford this cost.
• The bill language mandates following the federal ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommendations, which can change and could result in more frequent and/or other adult vaccine co-mandates.
• Health Care workers in NJ are well aware of the CDC vaccine recommendations. They already have access to the flu vaccine and can determine if the flu shot is right for them. They should not be pressured and coerced into getting one.
• Independent Researchers have shown the flu vaccine to be ineffective (Cochrane review 2011)

Please call, email, and fax, the members of the Senate Health Committee listed below and ask them to VOTE NO on S2984 (Call Today and Tomorrow, they Vote on Thursday, September 8th)

Loretta Weinberg senweinberg@njleg.org 201-928-0100 / fax 201-928-0406

Joseph Vitale senvitale@njleg.org 732-855-7441

Dawn Marie Addiego senaddiego@njleg.org 609-654-1498

Diane Allen senallen@njleg.org 609-239-2800 / fax 609-239-2673

Robert Gordon sengordon@njleg.org 201-703-9779

Sean Kean senskean@njleg.org 732-974-0400 / fax 732-974-2564

Fred Madden senmadden@njleg.org 856-232-6700

Ronald Rice senrice@njleg.org 973-371-5665

Robert Singer sensinger@njleg.org 732-901-0702 / fax 732-901-0587

Jim Whelan senwhelan@njleg.org 609-383-1388

Visit www.NJVaccinationChoice.org Sign the Online Petition Supporting A2450!

Vaccine Epidemic. How Corporate Greed, Biased Science, and Coercive Government Threaten Our Human Rights, Our Health, and Our Children. Released February 2011. http://vaccineepidemic.com

“There are unanswered questions about vaccine safety… No one should be threatened by the pursuit of this knowledge.” Dr. Bernadine Healy, former director of the National Institutes of Health, in her review of Vaccine Epidemic.

Featuring more than twenty experts from the fields of ethics, law, science, medicine, business, and history, Vaccine Epidemic urgently calls for more vaccine safety science, and for the international human rights standard of free and informed consent to all medical interventions. Vaccine Epidemic is a survival guide for all people contemplating vaccination for themselves and their children.

Testimony seeking the right to be educated in Massachusetts despite one’s vaccination status.

The current text of the bill can be found here.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A4000/3920_R1.PDF

ENGLEWOOD — The Englewood and Bergenfield Health Departments will be holding an mass immunization exercise at the McCloud Elementary School on June 4 to demonstrate their ability to set up and safely administer vaccines during emergencies.

The demonstration will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with representatives of the Bergenfield and Englewood health boards, volunteer ambulance corps and Englewood’s Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services helping to plan the event.

Students from Dwight Morrow High School and the Academies and the Janis E. Dismus Middle School who serve on the city’s Youth Advisory Board will be simulating the population to be vaccinated.

The event is being held through a grant from the New Jersey Health Officers Association, the Englewood Health department director, Nelson Cruz said. Bergenfield and Englewood are the only local health departments that applied for and received the grant.

The other recipients were all county health departments. Cruz added that part of the reason the grant was awarded was because of the programs proposal to use nonmedical personnel to administer vaccinations.

According to the grant award notice, Englewood’s participation in the initiative will help result in the development of a standard operating procedures and best practices manual, which will be used to instruct other health departments in the state.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held on June 5.

Reposted here from: http://www.northjersey.com/news/123002183_Two_towns_to_test_mass_vaccination_plan.html

E-mail: curley@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6705

Assembly Health Committee Meeting:

The audio recording of this meeting is archived online.  Click this link to listen, http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/archive_audio2.asp?KEY=AHE&SESSION=2010 then Click “listen”, on the Thursday, May 19th date. 

At about 14:50 is when A3920 (Flu vaccine for health care workers) started.  Charlotte Vandervalk started Speaking at the 17:39 mark.  She brought up the fact that mercury is still in most flu vaccines and therefore people may opt for the Flu Mist (live virus) this has the ability to then transmit the flu to vulnerable populations.  She was the only one there to speak out against the bill.

A couple people testified in favor, Conaway rattled off a few other names that supported and did not need to testify.

Conaway (26:31) then felt the need to have to speak to “debunk” what Charlotte said and that he follows the “medical science.”  He kept stressing that this bill just offers the vaccine and no one is forced to get it.

No one mentioned the tracking aspect of the bill. A vote was taken.  It was unanimous in FAVOR of the bill.

Feel free to call and e-mail the committee members and express your disappointment.  (They need to know that you know how they voted and are not happy). Especially call if you are a constituent of any of the committee members.

This is just the first step.  This bill now needs to go to the full assembly and also needs to pass through a Senate committee and the full Senate.  As of now, there is no senate version.  So, this is not over, just the first round.

Stay diligent!

Connie Wagner (D) – Dist. 38 – Vice Chair (Co-Sponsor of Bill) aswwagner@njleg.org 201-576-9199 / fax: 201-576-9432

Joan Quigley (D) – Dist.32 – (Hospital Administrator) aswquigley@njleg.org 201-217-4614 / fax: 201-217-4617

Celeste Riley (D) – Dist. 3- aswriley@njleg.org 856-455-1011 / fax: 856-251-9752

Jerry Green (D) – Dist.22 –asmgreen@njleg.org 908-561-5757 / fax: 908-561-5757

Dan Benson (D) – Dist. 14 –New Legislator – asmbenson@njleg.org 609-631-0198 / fax: 609-395-9032

Cleopatra Tucker (D) – Dist. 28 – aswtucker@njleg.org 973-926-4320 / fax: 973-926-5736

Mary Pat Angelini(R) – Dist. 11 –aswangelini@njleg.org 732-974-1719 / fax: 732-974-3615

Amy Handlin(R) – Dist. 13 –aswhandlin@njleg.org 732-787-1170 / fax: 732-787-0356

Vincent Polistina(R) – Dist. 2 – asmpolistina@njleg.org 609-677-8266 / fax: 609-677-8853

Nancy Munoz (R) – Dist. 21- aswmunoz@njleg.org 908-918-0414 / fax: 908-918-0275

Herb Conaway (D) – Dist. 7 – Chair – (Sponsor of Bill) asmconaway@njleg.org 856-461-3997/ fax: 856-461-3823

(Please pass along to friends and family, especially those in the health care field)

A-3920 (click for text of bill) was introduced May 5, 2011 and is scheduled for a vote in the Assembly Health Committee this Thursday, May 19, 2011. This bill is “an act concerning influenza vaccination of certain health care workers.”

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