New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 8 - HEALTH
Chapter 57 - COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Subchapter 4 - IMMUNIZATION OF PUPILS IN SCHOOL
Section 8:57-4.4 - Religious exemptions

(a) Each school, preschool, or child care center shall exempt a child from mandatory immunization if the child's parent or guardian submits to the school, preschool, or child care center a written, signed statement requesting an exemption, pursuant to the requirements for religious exemption established at 26:1A-9.1, on "the ground that the . . . immunization interferes with the free exercise of the pupil's religious rights."

(b) Religious affiliated schools or child care centers shall have the authority to withhold or grant a religious exemption from the required immunization for pupils entering or attending their institutions without challenge by any secular health authority.

(c) Each school, preschool, or child care center shall retain a copy of the written statement set forth in (a) above in the child's immunization record.

(d) A school, preschool, or child care center may exclude children with religious exemptions from receiving immunizing agents from the school, preschool, or child care center during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or threatened outbreak as determined by the Commissioner, Department of Health and Senior Services, or his or her designee.

(e) As provided by 26:4-6, "Any body having control of a school may, on account of the prevalence of any communicable disease, or to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, prohibit the attendance of any teacher or pupil of any school under their control and specify the time during which the teacher or scholar shall remain away from school."

(f) Those children enrolled in school, preschool, or child care centers before September 1, 1991, and who have previously been granted a religious exemption, shall not be required to reapply for a new religious exemption under 8:57-4.4(a).