Health Department Encourages Staying Up To Date on Routine and Annual Immunizations

TRENTON – In recognition of August as National Immunization Awareness Month, and as families prepare for the school year and cooler months ahead, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) highlights the critical role vaccines play in keeping people healthy throughout the year and encourages residents to stay up to date on all recommended immunizations, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV, if eligible.

As in prior years, Governor Murphy proclaimed August 2025 as Immunization Awareness Month in New Jersey, recognizing that “vaccination is proven to be one of the most successful public health interventions by preventing countless cases of disease and disability and saving millions of lives.”

“Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to prevent serious illness and keep our schools, workplaces, and communities healthy,” said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “Staying up to date on immunizations helps protect children heading back to school and older adults from health complications related to vaccine-preventable diseases. It’s a simple but powerful step toward a healthier New Jersey.”

Vaccines for children and adolescents protect against 18 serious diseases, including influenza, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, chickenpox (varicella), human papillomavirus (HPV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) meningococcal disease, and pneumococcal disease. Staying up to date on shots also helps reduce the spread of disease to others in classrooms, childcare centers, and communities, and builds herd immunity.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a population becomes immune to a disease, making it difficult for an infection to spread, and can vary by disease. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 95 percent coverage in the population is needed for community protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.

According to the most recent CDC National Immunization Survey for children, only 62.5 percent of NJ children under age 36 months have received the combined seven vaccination series compared to 72.2 percent nationally. Vaccines in this series include at least four doses of DTaP, three doses of polio, one dose of MMR, three doses of hepatitis B, three doses of Hib, one dose of varicella, and four doses of pneumococcal vaccine.

Annual flu vaccines are recommended for everyone aged six months and older. Adults also may need vaccines to protect against whooping cough, pneumonia, and shingles; other vaccines may be recommended based on age, health condition, job, or lifestyle. Vaccination is especially important for those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma.

Individuals aged six months and older are also eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, in consultation with their health care provider, to help prevent serious illness and other severe outcomes. Flu and other vaccinations can be given at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine. People aged 65 years and older and people with weakened immune systems should also consult with their health care provider. 

The CDC also recommends an RSV vaccine for everyone aged 75 years and older and for adults aged 50 through 74 years who are at increased risk of severe RSV. To prevent severe RSV disease in infants, the CDC recommends either maternal RSV vaccination or infant immunization with RSV monoclonal antibodies.  

Those planning to become pregnant should check with their health care provider to make sure that they have received all recommended vaccines. The CDC recommends that, during each pregnancy, all pregnant women receive the flu vaccine at any time during pregnancy and receive the whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) early in their third trimester. Vaccinating women against these diseases, as well as COVID-19, help protect both mother and child.

NJDOH also recommends that health care providers check their patients' vaccination status and follow up with those who may have missed recommended vaccinations to catch up, especially children before the start of the school year.

Vaccines are available at a variety of locations including health care provider offices, pharmacies, community health clinics, and health departments. More information about vaccines and the recommended immunization schedules for all age groups can be found at nj.gov/health/vaccines or on the CDC website at cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html. For more information and to find the nearest vaccination site, visit vaccines.gov.

Recommended immunizations are covered by most health insurance plans. Parents who need help paying for vaccines should ask their child’s health care provider about the Vaccines for Children program, which provides no-cost or low-cost vaccines to children through age 18 who are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian/Alaska Native. Adults who are uninsured or do not have insurance for certain vaccines should contact their local health department or a federally qualified health center to see if they qualify for no- or low-cost vaccines through the 317-funded program.

New Jersey Hot Shots for Tots

NJDOH also announced this year’s awardees of the New Jersey Hot Shots for Tots Immunization Campaign, which is a voluntary, point-based incentive program for child care and preschool facilities.

Participating facilities conduct immunization-related activities to earn points toward typically reaching one of the three award levels: Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Each awardee receives a certificate from NJDOH to acknowledge their work on this important issue. Immunization-related activities can include providing information to parents about childhood immunizations and teaching children about proper hand washing and other disease prevention strategies.

The 2025 Hot Shots for Tots Immunization Campaign awardees are: 

Gold:

• CFS Headstart at KCNA (Mosaic Early Learning)
• El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care
• Early Childhood Learning Center - Freehold Township Schools
• Give and Take Child Care Center
• Hackensack Meridian Early Childhood Education Center at JSUMC
• Holmdel Preschool Center
• HOPES Cap, Inc., Belmont Center
• J.A. Coles Elementary School
• Lily Pond Country Day School
• Cambridge Park Preschool
• Midtown Community Elementary School
• NORWESCAP Newton Head Start
• NORWESCAP Wantage Head Start and Early Head Start
• Over The Rainbow Child Development Center
• Positive Place Preschool
• South Bergen Jointure Commission Preschool, Lodi
• Mont-Vail Day Care Center

Silver:

• Mi Casita Day Care Center South
• F.M. Kirby Children's Center - Madison Area YMCA
• Little People Day Nursery
• Westfield Day Care Center

Bronze:

• Hoboken Public School District ECE: HOPES CAP, Inc., Joseph F. Brandt Elementary School
• Hoboken Public School District ECE: HOPES CAP, Inc., Jubilee Center
• Hoboken Public School District ECE: HOPES CAP Inc., David E. Rue School

Honorable Mention:

• Hillsdale United Nursery School
• Hoboken Public School District ECE: HOPES CAP, Inc., at Thomas G. Connors Elementary School
• Hoboken Public District ECE: Mile Square Early Learning at St. Francis
• Hoboken Public District ECE: Mile Square Early Learning Center at Wallace Elementary School
• Hoboken Public District ECE: Mile Square Early Learning Center at Jackson Street
• Hoboken Public District ECE: Mile Square Early Learning Center at Calabro School

###

The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 5,500 employees, the Department serves to protect the public’s health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey.  

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube @njdeptofhealth. Síguenos en nuestras redes en español: Facebook y X (Twitter) @njdptodesalud.