By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey has joined a coalition of 15 states challenging what officials describe as an unlawful overhaul of the nation’s childhood immunization schedule implemented under the Trump Administration.
According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced the lawsuit targeting a January 5, 2026 “Decision Memo” issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The memo removed seven vaccines — those protecting against rotavirus, meningitis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — from their long-standing designation as universally recommended for children.
The complaint also challenges the restructuring of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent body that provides vaccine guidance to the CDC.
The lawsuit names U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya, along with the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, as defendants.
State officials argue that the federal changes depart from decades of science-based public health policy.
Research estimates that routine childhood vaccinations administered between 1994 and 2023 prevented approximately 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and more than 1.1 million deaths nationwide, resulting in an estimated $2.7 trillion in societal savings.
“Protecting children is a priority for our office,” Acting Attorney General Davenport said in the released statement, criticizing what she described as a reckless shift in federal vaccine policy that replaces established experts with individuals lacking appropriate scientific qualifications.
Acting Health Commissioner Raynard E. Washington echoed those concerns, stating that public confidence in vaccines depends on transparency, stability, and evidence-based clinical guidance.
He warned that abrupt federal changes could weaken public trust and potentially lead to preventable illness.
According to the complaint, Secretary Kennedy dismissed all 17 voting members of ACIP in June 2025 and replaced them with new appointees.
The lawsuit alleges that several of those members do not meet the scientific expertise standards outlined in the committee’s charter and federal law, and that some have publicly expressed anti-vaccine views.
In December 2025, the restructured ACIP eliminated the CDC’s long-standing recommendation for a universal hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth — a vaccine shown to be up to 90 percent effective in preventing perinatal infection when administered within 24 hours of birth.
The January 2026 CDC memo further altered guidance by downgrading seven routine childhood vaccines from universal recommendation status.
State officials contend the decision was not based on new scientific evidence or a properly constituted advisory panel.
New Jersey officials emphasized that the state’s immunization policies remain unchanged and continue to follow established scientific standards.
However, they warned that the federal shift could create confusion, reduce vaccination rates, and increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
The coalition is asking the court to declare the revised immunization schedule and the ACIP appointments unlawful and to block their implementation.
New Jersey is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, along with the Governor of Pennsylvania.
The case is now pending in federal court.