NJ Gubernatorial Candidate’s Vaccine Stance Raises Pediatrician Concerns
TRENTON, NJ – A New jersey pediatrician is sounding the alarm over gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli‘s proposals regarding vaccination schedules and parental rights, warning they could endanger the health of children across the state. Dr. Jennifer H.Chuang, a board-certified pediatrician, internal medicine, and adolescent medicine physician, argues Ciattarelli’s stance undermines established medical recommendations and fuels vaccine misinformation.
Ciattarelli’s campaign website outlines plans too ”oppose a one-size-fits-all vaccination schedule,” support medical and religious exemptions,and establish a “parental rights ombudsman” to advocate for those seeking philosophical exemptions.
“As a pediatrician and as a parent, this is outrageous,” Dr. Chuang wrote in an opinion piece. “These statements counter recommendations from pediatric groups, the very same healthcare practitioners whose main goal is to see their young patients grow up to be healthy adults. ciattarelli’s statements on his campaign site are dangerous and misguided. They sow into the spread of misinformation that is destroying our public health system. It would be damaging to children’s health if Ciattarelli were to implement these policies as Governor.”
The concerns come amid a broader national trend of declining confidence in vaccines, exacerbated by figures like former President Donald Trump and robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Dr. Chuang accuses of “taking a sledgehammer to public health.”
dr. Chuang emphasizes the importance of adhering to recommended vaccination schedules, stating they are based on rigorous scientific research and are designed to protect children from preventable diseases. She warns that weakening these standards could lead to outbreaks and jeopardize public health.
“Do not let Jack Ciattarelli do the same to our New Jersey children’s health,” she concludes.
(Thomas P. Costello / Asbury Park Press) – New Jersey Republican primary winner Jack Ciattarelli speaks to supporters gathered at Bell works in Holmdel Tuesday night, June 10, 2025.
jennifer H.Chuang, MD, MS is a physician practicing in New Jersey.
Published September 6, 2025, 8:15 AM UTC.