NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is again distancing itself from federal vaccine policy, saying the state will continue relying on its own public-health guidance and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics as the Trump administration reshapes the national childhood immunization schedule.
The dispute has now reached the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
A post published Tuesday by New Jersey Project (@fight4newjersey) described the state’s position as a rejection of the Trump administration’s new MMR policy. The wording is dramatic, but the broader disagreement between New Jersey and federal health officials is very real.
Earlier this year, the New Jersey Department of Health said the state would continue using the American Academy of Pediatrics immunization schedule as a foundation for childhood vaccination guidance, even after federal officials announced changes to the national schedule.
What Is Changing at the Federal Level?
The Trump administration ordered federal health agencies to review the U.S. childhood immunization schedule and compare it with schedules used in other developed countries. CDC subsequently announced changes to the national childhood vaccine schedule, including moving away from some previous universal recommendations.
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly criticized parts of those changes and has maintained its own 2026 immunization schedule. The AAP schedule is no longer identical to the federal CDC schedule.
That puts states such as New Jersey in an unusual position: they can choose whether to follow new federal recommendations or continue relying on guidance from major medical organizations such as the AAP.
New Jersey has chosen the latter.
What Does New Jersey Say About MMR?
For now, New Jersey continues to require children attending school to meet the state’s minimum immunization requirements, and the Department of Health specifically says those requirements are based on the AAP childhood immunization schedule.
The MMR vaccine remains part of that approach.
CDC currently recommends that children receive two doses of MMR vaccine, with the first routinely given between 12 and 15 months and the second between ages 4 and 6. CDC says two doses are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also continues to recommend a two-dose MMR series.
So despite the broader political fight over vaccine policy, New Jersey parents should not assume that federal changes automatically change what their children need for school.
They do not.
New Jersey School Rules Are Still Set by New Jersey
This may be the most important part of the story for families.
New Jersey has its own school immunization requirements, and the state Department of Health says vaccines are required at the earliest age of school entry under those state standards.
That means a change in Washington does not automatically rewrite New Jersey’s school rules.
Families should therefore look at current New Jersey Department of Health requirements, rather than assuming that a new federal recommendation immediately changes what is required for enrollment.
Why MMR Is Getting So Much Attention
The debate comes during a significant rise in measles cases across the United States.
As of July 30, CDC had reported 2,371 confirmed measles cases nationwide in 2026, already surpassing the full-year total reported for 2025.
New Jersey confirmed its first measles case of 2026 in April and urged residents, particularly parents and caregivers, to make sure they were up to date on MMR vaccination.
The state has continued to issue measles exposure alerts and vaccination guidance throughout the year.
That makes the disagreement over MMR especially significant. It is not happening in isolation, but during a year in which measles has again become a major public-health concern.
A Growing Divide Between Washington and the States
New Jersey is not simply debating one vaccine.
The larger issue is whether states will continue following federal health recommendations when those recommendations diverge from guidance issued by medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.
New Jersey officials have already made their position clear: the AAP schedule will continue to serve as an important foundation for decisions involving childhood vaccines.
For parents, that means there may increasingly be three different sources of guidance to watch — federal health agencies, state health officials and medical organizations.
In New Jersey, however, school requirements remain a state decision.
And for now, the state is making clear that it is willing to go its own way when federal vaccine policy changes.
Sources: New Jersey Department of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; American Academy of Pediatrics; New Jersey Project (@fight4newjersey) on X.
By NJ RADAR Team