ASSEMBLY, No. 5229

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 11, 2021

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  SERENA DIMASO

District 13 (Monmouth)

Assemblyman  ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman  ROBERT AUTH

District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Chaparro, Assemblymen Catalano and Rooney

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Permits paramedics to administer vaccines during outbreaks of communicable diseases.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning paramedics and vaccines and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  As used in this section, “mobile intensive care paramedic" shall have the same meaning as provided in section 1 of P.L.1984, c.146 (C.26:2K-7).

     b.    During an outbreak of a communicable disease occurring among the general public in any area of the State, all mobile intensive care paramedics in the State shall be authorized to administer any available vaccine that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to prevent against that communicable disease, which vaccine may be administered by a mobile intensive care paramedic to any patient, regardless of the patient’s age, unless age restrictions have been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.  A mobile intensive care paramedic shall comply with any other restrictions or guidance concerning the vaccine as have been issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or the Department of Health.  A vaccine administered pursuant to this section may be administered pursuant to an individual prescription for the vaccine, a standing order for the vaccine issued by an authorized prescriber, or an immunization program or other program sponsored by an authorized governmental agency that is not patient specific.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill permits paramedics to administer vaccines during outbreaks of communicable diseases.

     Under the bill, during an outbreak of a communicable disease occurring among the general public in any area of the State, all paramedics in the State are to be authorized to administer any available vaccine that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to prevent against that communicable disease, which vaccine may be administered by a paramedic to any patient, regardless of the patient’s age, unless age restrictions have been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.  A mobile intensive care paramedic is to comply with any other restrictions or guidance concerning the vaccine as have been issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or the Department of Health.  A vaccine administered pursuant to the bill’s provisions may be administered pursuant to an individual prescription for the vaccine, a standing order for the vaccine issued by an authorized prescriber, or an immunization program or other program sponsored by an authorized governmental agency that is not patient specific.