NJ Grandparents Pack Backpacks to Boost Vaccinations

In New Jersey, Grandparents for Vaccines has initiated "Before the Bell Rings," a back-to-school campaign focused on increasing childhood vaccinations. This group, comprising over 6,000 members, is distributing backpacks filled with educational resources to students in Camden schools. Their efforts stem from personal experiences with vaccine-preventable diseases, emphasizing the severe consequences like death, crippling injuries, blindness, and deafness that occurred before widespread vaccination.

The campaign addresses a critical public health concern: the U.S. is currently facing its most severe measles outbreak in three decades, with vaccination rates declining. Grandparents for Vaccines utilizes their members' historical perspectives to underscore the risks associated with infectious diseases. They aim to shift the public discourse from fear and confusion to one centered on protection and love, urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated before the school year commences to prevent a resurgence of dangerous illnesses.