NJ A1823

Mandates annual influenza vaccination for all children and students enrolled in public and private K-12 schools, preschools, child care centers, and institutions of higher education as a condition of enrollment and continued attendance

Requires proof of vaccination to be submitted by December 31 of each school year, with schools prohibited from knowingly admitting or retaining students who fail to provide acceptable evidence

Provides medical exemptions when a licensed physician submits written documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated for a specific time period

Allows religious exemptions through written statements explaining how vaccination conflicts with bona fide religious tenets or practices, but explicitly excludes general philosophical or moral objections

Originally intended to take effect for the 2020-2021 school year, citing COVID-19 pandemic concerns including overlapping symptoms between flu and COVID-19, hospital capacity preservation, and difficulty distinguishing between outbreaks of the two diseases