TRENTON, NJ – Your unvaccinated children are the bringers of death, New Jersey Governor Murphy said in so many words during Monday’s press briefing.
“As we all know, no vaccine is yet approved for any child age 11 or younger, so the longer you remain unvaccinated, the greater the possibility that a child, by the way, your own, or one of their playmates, a niece, a nephew, a cousin a neighbor can then transmit this virus to you with potentially deadly consequences.”
Murphy said if you have young children around you, and you are not vaccinated, the little buggers are going to get you, so save yourself, from them and get your vaccination.
The statement could also be seen as a foreshadowing of a looming showdown between the New Jersey Education Association and the public who doesn’t want their children to be masked in September.
Parents across the state are wondering if children will be forced to wear face masks to school in September. As of now, that decision lies in the hands of each school district, however, the lobbying powers of the NJEA and the NEA could change that between now and then.
Nationally, the NEA rejected a nationwide demand by chapters to force mandatory vaccinations for all students, teachers and staffers. The NEA in June said “Masks must be required“.
Face mask policy and back to school in September could vary town by down and district by district in September which could make for a messy situation. For instance, why would children in one town be forced to wear facemasks even if fully vaccinated while children in the town two blocks over don’t have to?
Governor Muprhy has indicated several times over the past few weeks that he could change his mind on the in-school mask mandate at any time, saying it could “turn on a dime” because there’s no equipment needed or any radical altering of policies to make it happen.
Many parents are hoping there will be no mask mandate in schools, but most are also bracing for a last-minute decision change by the governor.
As for children 12-17, only 44% of Jersey kids have had at least one dose of vaccine.
“We need that to be much higher,” said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. “Getting your children vaccinated is the best thing you can do. It allows them to safely return to schools and sports and other activities they missed out on over the past year.”