New Jersey Parents Alarmed by Proposed Vaccine Database

Trenton seeks to create statewide vaccine status registry and exempt it from public records laws

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The New Jersey Department of Health has enacted new rules that would create a statewide database of residents' vaccine status, with no real opt-out option. The state also plans to exempt this database and the process for declaring public health emergencies from the Open Public Records Act, reducing government transparency. Additionally, the rules would empower private institutions to discriminate against families who do not comply with CDC-recommended vaccine schedules, potentially denying them access to state-funded education and childcare.

Why it matters

These proposed rules are seen as a direct assault on medical freedom and parental rights in New Jersey. Families with religious exemptions could be denied access to schools and daycares, even if they are homeschooling their children. Critics argue these measures reflect authoritarian policies more akin to communist China than the United States.

The details

The new rules would create a statewide database of residents' vaccine status, identified by name, with no real way to opt out. The state also plans to exempt this database and the process for declaring public health emergencies from the Open Public Records Act, one of the last mechanisms keeping the government transparent. Additionally, the rules would empower private institutions to discriminate against families who do not comply with CDC-recommended vaccine schedules, potentially denying them access to state-funded education and childcare, even if they have valid religious exemptions.

  • The new rules have been enacted by the New Jersey Department of Health.
  • The state plans to implement these rules in the near future.

The players

New Jersey Department of Health

The state agency that has enacted the new rules regarding vaccine databases and public health emergency declarations.

John Coyle and Dana Wefer

Courageous attorneys fighting to restore the rights that Trenton is taking away from New Jersey families.

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What they’re saying

“These measures are starting to reflect the communist policies in China, not the policies that should be impossible if we had a government that followed the U.S. Constitution.”

— Bill Spadea, New Jersey 101.5 talk show host (wpst.com)

What’s next

Attorneys John Coyle and Dana Wefer are leading a legal challenge to roll back the new public health rules in New Jersey.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tension between government efforts to expand public health powers and the concerns of parents and civil liberties advocates over medical freedom and privacy rights. The outcome could set an important precedent for how states balance public health interests with individual liberties.