Certain government agencies, educational institutions, and private enterprises have used vaccination status as a basis for denial of services, rights, and opportunities to individuals who are otherwise entitled as law-abiding citizens in good standing. Despite mounting evidence that such policies are without legitimate scientific basis and have caused harm to some individuals, there is currently a legislative agenda to build up a vaccine registry which would track the vaccination status of New Jersey residents.

Step 2 of 3:

Please review your survey answers from NJPHIPAC’s 2021 legislative survey. Your previous answers are bolded below:

Note: For the purpose of this survey, child(ren) refers to persons under 18.

 

1.

• A) It is a legislator’s duty to protect people’s health, even at the expense of their freedom.

• B) It is a legislator’s duty to protect people’s freedom, even though there are inherent risks to health implied by freedom. 

• A) It is a legislator’s duty to enact the will of the majority. The minority must either conform to this will or deal with the consequences.

• B) It is a legislator’s duty to carve out protections for the minority within the framework of the implementation of the will of the majority.

• A) Public health is defined by medical experts. Legislators must follow expert recommendations when crafting legislation concerning public health policy.

• B) Medical expertise is an essential resource for legislators when crafting public health legislation, but it is only one factor. Legislators must also respect the ability of each human being to determine what health means for them and how to achieve it.

4.

• A) When considering input from medical experts with specialized knowledge, lawmakers should assume that the recommendations offered are both accurate and honest, and their expertise is free from error, bias, and self-interest.

• B) When considering input from medical experts with specialized knowledge, lawmakers should assume that medical experts are susceptible to error, bias, and self-interest just like anyone else. 

5.

• A) Public health authorities create population-level recommendations which will always have the potential to cause harm to some individuals. It is up to legislators to provide protections within the law for these individuals when creating policy. 

• B) Public health authorities always consider sufficient protections for those who may be harmed by the implementation of their recommendations. There is no need for legislators to provide additional protections for those who may be harmed by the policies they create based upon those recommendations.

• A) Public health authorities and elected officials share a responsibility to keep everyone healthy and safe. The people expect this and have implied their consent for certain medical decisions to be made on their behalf.

• B) Public health authorities and elected officials share a responsibility to create and preserve conditions which support people as they make their own decisions as to their health and safety.

7.

• A) It is a parent’s job to make the best decisions possible for their child using a combination of faith, reason and their intimate knowledge of their child. In matters of medical decision making, these resources should be brought into consultation with a trusted healthcare practitioner. 

• B) It is a parent’s job to make the correct decisions when caring for the health of their child. In doing so, they should rely strictly on facts provided by medical experts in accordance with the recommendations of public health authorities.

8.

• A) Children have a right to be protected from illness. It is up to legislators to provide this protection even if it supersedes parental rights.

• B) Children have a right to exist in a healthy environment. It is up to parents to create and modify environments in a healthy manner on their behalf. It is up to legislators to support parents in this duty by providing diverse resources and ensuring that a variety of options exist for all families.

• A) When a parent places their child in a public school, they imply their consent for the school and/or state to make medical decisions even in non-emergency situations.

• B) When a parent places their child in a public school, they do not imply their consent for the school and/or state to make any medical decisions for their child. The only exceptions are in the provision of routine care expressly consented to by the parents and the facilitation of urgent medical care when necessary in an emergency. 

10.

• A) Children should have the right to consent to medical interventions such as vaccination, regardless of their parent’s intent in this regard. While children do not have the capacity to make important medical decisions generally, it is fine as long as they are making the right choice.

• B) Children do not have the capacity to make medical decisions. It is the responsibility of parents to make such decisions on their behalf. A legislator should never participate in an attempt to disregard and bypass parental authority. 

11. Certain politicians and public health authorities have indicated their intent to mandate a Covid-19 vaccine for all schoolchildren once approved. Would you vote to ensure that parents remain in control of this critical decision? *

• YES

• NO

12. Would you vote for legislation which would require full transparency as to the data and related science used to justify public health measures?  *

• YES

• NO

 

13. There is great controversy regarding the medical treatment of COVID-19 patients. Ventilators have been widely used despite a dismal success rate and certain therapeutics are employed in some areas and not in others without any clear, public explanation as to this discrepancy.
    
    Would you support legislation which would guarantee patients and their designated family members maximum input as to their treatment from among the widest range of existing alternatives?  *

• YES

• NO

 

14. It has become increasingly clear that the extreme mitigation measures employed to combat the pandemic carry with them a range of adverse effects. From catastrophic economic damage to profound mental and physical health issues, these harms have only begun to manifest and will impact our society for many years, at incalculable cost.
    
    Would you support legislation which would ensure that our nation will never again face any public health crisis in such a myopic manner, but will instead consider public health in its full, multidimensional scope?  *

• YES

• NO

15. As a result of pandemic-related public health measures, a generation of children have been exposed to conditions which are indisputably harmful to their mental health and overall development. Social isolation has proven to be sickening and doctors have acknowledged an increased suicide risk among children as a result of current conditions. Nevertheless, some politicians and public health authorities may still wish to exclude certain children from school and from meaningful social interaction based upon their vaccination status.
    
    Would you oppose any effort to exclude children from school and/or social activity based upon their vaccination status?  *

• YES

• NO