Ciattarelli dives into the vaccine debate, pitches first-ever N.J. parental rights ombudsman

Jack Ciattarelli thinks parents need a bigger say when it comes to deciding which vaccines their school-age children receive.

“I believe we now need an ombudsman — an advocate — who’s a member of my administration that will work in the Department of Health and their only responsibility will be to protect parental rights,” the GOP gubernatorial nominee told members of the NJ Public Health Innovation PAC during a Friday Facebook Live interview.

Ciattarelli isn’t anti-vaccine; he advertised his own COVID-19 inoculation on social media back in April.

The self-described “medical freedom” movement has nevertheless become a significant force in Republican circles over the last few years, influencing party policy and dominating the conversation particularly as covid-era government overreaches ramped up, 

“I do think there’s some people who use the religious exemption wrongly just because they don’t want to be forced to get their children vaccinated,” explained Ciattarelli, adding he would’ve vetoed a pulled early 2020 bill to significantly limit exemptions from school vaccine requirements. “So we want to give them another avenue.”

Matt Rooney
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MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.