Why More N.J. Kids Are Skipping Vaccines — And What That Means for Your County
Published: Updated for the 2024–25 school year • Location: New Jersey
New Jersey’s Growing Vaccination Gap: What Parents Need to Know
In New Jersey, the school year usually begins with backpacks, bus schedules, and a quick check that your child’s vaccines are up to date. But for the 2024–25 school year, state data show a sharp change: nearly 25,000 children in school or daycare skipped their required vaccines by claiming a religious exemption.
As overall vaccination rates fall and exemptions climb, public health experts warn that communities could once again see outbreaks of diseases like measles, whooping cough, and mumps—illnesses many parents have never had to worry about. At the same time, families are juggling conflicting information, real fears, and very personal decisions about their children’s health.
This article breaks down what the new numbers mean for New Jersey, how your county compares, and how to think through vaccine decisions in a way that’s grounded in science, respects your values, and puts children’s safety first.
The Problem: Falling Vaccination Rates and Rising Religious Exemptions
According to the latest state reports for the 2024–25 school year, New Jersey is seeing:
- Nearly 25,000 children in schools and daycares whose families claimed religious exemptions to recommended vaccines.
- A steady decline in routine vaccination coverage compared with pre‑pandemic years.
- Significant county‑to‑county variation in exemption and vaccination rates.
For decades, New Jersey—like most of the U.S.—has benefited from high vaccination coverage. That “herd immunity” made it hard for serious infections to gain a foothold, protecting not only vaccinated children but also babies, kids with cancer, and others who can’t safely receive certain shots.
As exemptions rise, that protective shield starts to thin out. When enough children are unvaccinated in the same school, classroom, or neighborhood, it creates pockets where disease can spread quickly once it’s introduced.
How New Jersey Counties Compare
While statewide numbers tell one story, your county‑level vaccination and exemption rates may look very different. Some New Jersey counties are maintaining relatively high coverage; others are seeing clusters of religious exemptions well above the state average.
Counties typically report:
- Overall vaccination coverage for required school and daycare vaccines (such as MMR, DTaP, polio, varicella).
- Religious exemption rates as a percentage of enrolled students.
- Sometimes, separate tracking for medical exemptions, which are far less common.
Even a small drop in coverage—from, say, 95% down to 90%—can have an outsized effect. Diseases like measles are so contagious that experts usually aim for around 95% coverage to keep outbreaks at bay.
Why More Families Are Skipping Vaccines
Families claim religious exemptions for many reasons, and it’s rarely a simple story. In conversations with New Jersey parents and pediatric clinicians, several themes appear again and again:
- Mistrust and information overload after the COVID‑19 pandemic, with social media amplifying fear‑based messages.
- Confusion between personal, philosophical, and religious beliefs, especially where the law only recognizes religious exemptions.
- Concerns about side effects, even though serious vaccine reactions are rare and carefully monitored.
- Difficulty accessing care—busy schedules, transportation barriers, or lack of a regular pediatrician—leading to delayed or missed shots that later become intentional choices.
- Cultural or community norms in certain schools or neighborhoods where opting out has become increasingly common.
“When parents tell me they’re nervous about vaccines, I don’t hear ‘anti‑vax.’ I hear a mom or dad trying to protect their child with the information they have. My job is to widen that information in a respectful way.”
— New Jersey pediatrician, interviewed in clinic (identifying details changed)
Acknowledging this complexity is important. Shaming or dismissing parents rarely changes minds. Honest, evidence‑based conversations—where questions are welcomed, not judged—tend to be far more effective.
Health Risks of Lower Vaccination Rates
The main concern with rising exemptions isn’t an abstract statistic—it’s the renewed chance that children will face diseases we now rarely see. Evidence from the CDC, the World Health Organization, and peer‑reviewed studies consistently shows that when vaccination rates drop, outbreaks follow.
Some key risks include:
- Measles: Among the most contagious viruses known. It can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation, and, in rare cases, death. Recent U.S. outbreaks have overwhelmingly affected unvaccinated or under‑vaccinated communities.
- Whooping cough (pertussis): Dangerous for infants and young children, leading to hospitalizations and, in some cases, fatalities.
- Mumps and rubella: Can cause meningitis, pregnancy complications, and long‑term health issues.
Vaccines are not perfect, but they significantly reduce the chance of infection and severe disease. When most people participate, they also protect those who can’t be vaccinated—such as children undergoing chemotherapy or those with certain immune conditions.
A Real‑World Example: When an Outbreak Hits a Low‑Coverage Community
A few years before the pandemic, a New Jersey‑adjacent community with growing vaccine exemptions experienced a cluster of measles cases. Most of the children who became ill were unvaccinated; some were too young to receive the MMR shot or had medical issues that prevented vaccination.
Schools temporarily excluded unvaccinated students, local health departments scrambled to trace contacts, and families spent anxious days watching for symptoms. Even children who had followed the recommended vaccine schedule were affected—through school disruptions, quarantines, and fear.
This kind of scenario is exactly what public health experts hope to avoid as New Jersey’s religious exemptions climb. The goal is not to stigmatize any family, but to help communities understand the shared stakes.
If You’re Unsure About Vaccines: A Step‑By‑Step Approach
Feeling uncertain about vaccines does not make you a bad parent. It makes you human. If you’re wrestling with whether to vaccinate your child—or considering a religious exemption—these steps can help you move from anxiety to informed choice.
- Clarify your specific concerns.
Are you worried about a particular vaccine, the schedule, ingredients, or past side effects? Naming the concern helps your clinician address it directly. - Talk with a trusted healthcare professional.
Ask your pediatrician, family doctor, or local health clinic:- What are the benefits and risks for this vaccine?
- How common are serious side effects, and how are they monitored?
- What happens if we delay or skip this shot?
- Use high‑quality information sources.
Look for evidence‑based websites—those ending in.gov,.edu, or major medical organizations. - Consider a catch‑up or modified schedule (when appropriate).
For some families, a carefully planned catch‑up schedule can feel more manageable than “all at once,” while still keeping children protected. This should be done in partnership with a clinician. - Revisit your decision over time.
A religious exemption filed today doesn’t have to be forever. As your child grows and new information becomes available, you can reassess.
What Schools and Communities in N.J. Can Do Now
Rising exemptions are not just a family issue; they’re a school and community issue. New Jersey districts, child care centers, and local health departments can take practical, respectful steps to support higher vaccination coverage.
- Improve communication with parents.
Offer clear, plain‑language information about:- Which vaccines are required or recommended for each grade.
- How religious and medical exemptions work under state law.
- What happens during an outbreak (e.g., temporary exclusion of unvaccinated students).
- Partner with local health providers.
Host on‑site vaccination clinics, especially during back‑to‑school and before winter respiratory virus season. - Train staff for empathetic conversations.
School nurses and administrators can help parents feel heard rather than pressured, which often opens the door to change over time. - Track data and identify clusters.
Monitoring exemption “hot spots” can guide targeted outreach while keeping student information confidential.
Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities in New Jersey
New Jersey law currently requires certain vaccines for children attending school or licensed child care, with allowances for medical and religious exemptions. Policies can evolve, so it’s important to consult up‑to‑date sources such as the New Jersey Department of Health and your school district.
In general, families should be aware that:
- Medical exemptions typically require documentation from a licensed healthcare provider.
- Religious exemptions may require a signed statement attesting that immunization conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs.
- During an outbreak, unvaccinated or under‑vaccinated children may be temporarily excluded from school or activities to protect them and others.
While specific requirements may change over time through legislation or regulation, the underlying public health principle remains: the state has a responsibility to protect children and communities, while families have the right to make informed decisions within the bounds of the law.
Before and After: Communities With and Without Strong Vaccine Coverage
To understand what’s at stake, it helps to imagine two versions of the same New Jersey community:
Scenario A: High Coverage
Most children are up to date on vaccines. When a traveler introduces measles, the virus struggles to spread. A few children may need monitoring, but large‑scale quarantine or school closures are unlikely.
Scenario B: Lower Coverage, Many Exemptions
Pockets of unvaccinated children—perhaps concentrated in a few schools—allow measles to spread rapidly. Dozens fall ill, some are hospitalized, and healthy children miss school due to exclusion and contact tracing.
New Jersey’s rising exemption numbers are nudging more communities toward Scenario B. The sooner families, schools, and health systems respond, the more likely we are to maintain Scenario A—where outbreaks remain rare and manageable.
Taking Action: Protecting Your Child and Your Community
You don’t have to solve New Jersey’s vaccine gap on your own. But you do have influence—over your household, your conversations, and your local school community.
- Check your child’s vaccine records and schedule any missing doses.
- Ask questions at your next visit; write them down beforehand so you don’t forget.
- Share reliable information with friends and family, especially new parents who may feel overwhelmed.
- Support your school’s health policies and participate in town halls or parent‑teacher meetings about immunizations.
If you’re feeling conflicted, try setting a simple, realistic goal: commit to one deeper conversation with a trusted clinician, or to reading one evidence‑based resource in full. Small, thoughtful steps are how big decisions become clearer.
“The most powerful thing a parent can say is not ‘I already know,’ but ‘Help me understand.’ That’s where real, protective decisions start.”
— Family medicine physician, Central New Jersey
Next step: Before the next school deadline or sports physical, pull out your child’s immunization record, write down your top 3 questions, and book a visit or call with your healthcare provider. You deserve clear, calm, science‑based answers—and your child deserves the safest possible start.
