(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Tuesday.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

A few stories we'll get into later in the broadcast.

Chances are you or someone you know has had the flu.

We have the latest from experts on what's behind the surge and whether you should still get the flu vaccine.

And the CDC has revised its recommendations for kids and vaccines.

We'll hear from New Jersey's Department of Health on advice for parents.

And later, major moves being made in Trenton to offer more protections for immigrants.

What's next for those bills?

First, though, a few of today's top headlines.

New Jersey hit a historic low for gun violence in 2025.

Governor Murphy, Attorney General Matt Plattken, and other state leaders today announced the third straight year of record declines since the state began tracking shootings.

Last year, 559 people statewide were hit by gunfire.

That's a 28 percent drop from 2024 and about 60 percent lower than 2017, just before Murphy took office.

Fatal shootings also fell to an all-time low, with 107 deaths down more than 30 percent from a year ago.

State data released today shows nearly every major city saw significant reductions, including Atlantic City, Camden, Newark, Patterson, and Trenton.

Newark and Camden have been touting their own successes with historic low homicide numbers, the fewest in decades.

Officials also reported a 9 percent decline in auto thefts across the state.

State leaders credit tougher gun laws, intelligence-led policing, and expanded mental health response programs like Arrive Together and other community-based violence intervention efforts.

But they also noted the work isn't finished.

The fact of the matter is our ultimate goal is zero.

Zero shootings, zero violent crimes, zero needless deaths.

And we will keep working doggedly to reach it and I know my successor and her team will do just that.

But make no mistake, because of the dedication of everyone in this room and all across our state, families are safer.

Communities are stronger.

Children are growing up with hope, with opportunity and with the chance to reach their full potential.

Also tonight, New Jersey's landmark environmental justice law is staying on the books, upheld by the state's appellate court, which rejected arguments from industrial groups and found the laws implementing regulations to be constitutional.

The law, signed by Governor Murphy in 2020, aims to keep pollution out of low-income areas and communities of color by requiring regulators to consider the total pollution a community already faces before approving new industrial projects.

Well, the New Jersey chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and the construction advocacy organization, ELEC 825, had sued to block rules adopted by the State Department of Environmental Protection back in 2023, arguing they were too vague and broad.

A panel of three judges disagreed, finding the DEP's rules fit within existing case law.

Environmentalists and the DEP commissioner applauded the ruling as a major win for vulnerable communities, while the state's largest business lobby said it was disappointed and warned the ruling could make New Jersey less attractive for industrial investment.

And one of the state's last remaining independent hospitals is preparing for a merger.

Englewood Health has announced plans to join RWJ Barnabas Health, New Jersey's largest academic hospital system, also an underwriter of NJ Spotlight News.

The proposed deal would make Englewood Hospital RWJ's 15th facility, though it still needs state and federal approvals.

Leaders from both organizations say the move is about stability and scale in an increasingly complex healthcare industry, not about financial distress.

Englewood officials maintain that the hospital is strong, pointing to recent national recognition for patient safety.

Barnabas is pledging big investments in Englewood, including new operating rooms, more outpatient care, and upgrades to the NICU.

Leaders say no layoffs are expected.

A union representing Englewood nurses says worker protections will remain in place.

Both systems will continue to operate independently until the deal is approved.

And coming up, what's driving the rapid surge in flu cases, both state and nationwide, and how you can protect yourself.

That's next.

Funding for NJ Spotlight News, provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association.

Making public schools great for every child.

And RWJBarnabas Health.

Let's be healthy together.

New Jersey is experiencing one of the worst flu seasons in the country.

If you've been spared so far, you probably know someone who's had or has it, with cases surging earlier and faster than in the last two years.

Health officials say hospitalizations are climbing and the worst of it is still to come.

But they're reminding people that vaccines and standard precautions, those remain effective.

Senior Correspondent Brenda Flanagan is with me now in studio for a look at what's behind the surge and what you can do to stay healthy.

Brenda, what can you tell us?

Hey, Brianna.

So, New Jersey is among a bunch of states hit hard early on by a surge of influenza cases, according to the CDC.

This particular virus is influenza A, the H3N2 strain, and it's spreading rapidly across the country.

The CDC has a flu view map that shows New Jersey and New York are among at least 20 states colored deep purple.

That's the highest flu rate by the end of December.

New York set a record, more than 72,000 cases in one week.

Montclair epidemiologist Stephanie Silvera calls it a bad flu season that's getting worse here.

STEPHANIE SILVERA, Montclair Epidemiologist, CDC: We're not at the peak yet.

I don't think we will be at the peak for another few weeks.

And I think that we're seeing both the number of cases, as well as hospitalizations, increase.

This time last year, we were at about 5,500 cases.

We're already at around 12,000.

So, we have more than doubled from last year.

Hospitalizations are up.

Last year, we were at this time about 127.

We have already had 553.

So we're seeing more cases as well as more significant severity.

This flu season has been a bad season.

We went through a bad season last year.

So that now gives us two in a row, which which isn't fun.

So it is worse than most.

It's not an emergency.

We're not expecting things to get overrun from it.

We're not talking COVID-19 type catastrophe, but it certainly is bad and awful lot of people are sick and unfortunately people are ending up in the hospital and some people are dying.

Now that's Dr.

Ed Lifshitz with Jersey's Department of Health.

He says parts of this particular flu strain drifted, they mutated, but that occurred after drug companies had already prepared this season's vaccine.

The new version of the virus is called subclade K. Rutgers Medical School Dr.

David Sinemo explains the vaccine still works, but... So there's a partial mismatch with the vaccine.

So every year when you make the vaccine, you have to prognosticate which types of flu are going to be out there.

So this flu vaccine does cover H3N2, but the K subclade evolved later, has some mutations, and really isn't as well covered as some of the other ones.

So we are seeing an increase in infections.

It is still possible that you can get sick even if you had the vaccine.

But if you do get sick, it's not usually as severe.

You almost never end up in the hospital.

Death is much less likely and less likely to spread it.

Now, the CDC reports only about 42 percent of Americans have gotten the flu shot this season.

In New Jersey, about half of flu cases, at some 6,000 so far, have involved kids from infants up to 18 years old, but it's mostly older folks over age 65 who've ended up in the hospital with this flu.

People who've been infected can experience symptoms that include high fever, body aches, overwhelming fatigue and a lingering cough, with the incubation period averaging just two days after exposure.

And the description is you kind of feel like you got hit by a truck.

This is what distinguishes when you know it's the flu versus a cold or run of the mill cold.

Run of the mill cold, you feel kind of worn down.

And the symptoms tend to come on slowly.

But with the flu, the symptoms come on very fast.

And when you lie down, you can't even conceive of getting back up.

And that is really one of the hallmark differences when you know it's the flu and not just a cold.

Now, New Jersey requires certain groups to get an annual flu shot by the end of December.

They include kids aged six months to five years who attend licensed daycares or preschools.

Yesterday, the CDC recommended that flu shots, amongst several other vaccines, should be administered to children only after consultation with a health care provider.

That revised protocol reinforces a populist shift away from vaccinations, as described by Burlington County Health Officer Holly Kukizela.

There's been a kind of trend probably over the last 10, 15 years in a decline in flu shots that we have seen.

I've been here at the health department for well over 20 years.

And when I first started here, we were doing over 2000 shots a season.

This season, we're probably on track to do about a thousand.

Some of that does have to do with the fact that flu shots are more available.

You know, you used to not be able to go to your local pharmacy or grocery store to get them.

And now you can.

And so there is a lot more.

But there's also you know, we've seen a downward trend in the positive afterwards to immunizations as a whole.

Now, in a statement, U.S.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

and avowed vaccine skeptic said, "After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S.

childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent.

This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health."

Meanwhile, Koukouzelis says her department is sponsoring two free clinics this week where anyone can get a flu shot, although they see mostly kids.

And yes, she still hears some people claim that the vaccine gives you the flu, which is, to borrow a phrase, fake news.

DR.

KOOKOUZELIS, Director, National Institute of Health and Human Services, California Department of Health and Human Services, "The flu shot is what we call a dead virus.

And so, typically, people that do get the flu after getting the flu shot have already been exposed to the flu and it's just bad timing because when you do get the flu shot it takes about two weeks to become effective to really ramp up that immune system.

I had a friend say well if I already got the flu a couple weeks ago is the flu shot going to do anything?

What's the point?

I said well you know you can get it again you're not going to get the same flu twice but here's a fun fact there's multiple flus you can get this season so yes you can get sick with influenza but different influenza a couple months from now.

Now Dr.

Sinemo says data from the UK show hospitalizations from this virus have peaked and are finally trending downward but that's over there that could be promising but their flu season is weeks ahead of ours Bri.

Yeah and Bren that's always the kicker right that you can get a virus more than once different strains we covered this one what other strains are out there?

Well that's the H1N1 strain that we're talking about another type A flu but there's also type B flu viruses doctors recommend that if you do feel fluish talk to your health care provider about a medication like Tamiflu because it can ease some of the misery but only if you take it early on.

Yeah it's a critical window that you have to meet there and far too many family and friends of mine missed that window this year and suffered through it.

Brenda Flanagan, great information for us as always.

Thank you.

Brie, thank you.

Support for The Medical Report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Well amid the sharp rise in flu cases, federal health officials are overhauling the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, narrowing the list of shots required for many kids, including the flu vaccine, and shifting some decisions to conversations between families and their doctors.

Supporters see the change as one way to restore public trust in the system, but critics warn it may fuel confusion and increase the risk of preventable disease outbreaks.

New Jersey health leaders are pushing back and say they're sticking with longstanding vaccine policies along with existing school requirements, all backed by science.

For more on that and what the federal changes mean for your family, I'm joined by New Jersey Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown.

Commissioner, thank you for being with us and for coming on to talk about this.

Let me ask you first, what is changing when it comes to this schedule and what's staying the same?

>> Mr.

Zients: First off, thank you for having me to discuss this topic.

So, yesterday, without sharing any new evidence or science, federal health and human services and the CDC announced a new recommended pediatric vaccine schedule.

And it takes what were many routine vaccinations in previous recommendation and moves them to two categories, high risk or shared clinical decision making, or in some cases, both.

And I want to emphasize that although it contains significant changes to what the federal government recommends, the most important thing for families and providers to know is that access to vaccines on the schedule and insurance coverage or reimbursement through the Vaccines for Children's Program are not affected.

These vaccines will remain accessible, they'll remain covered by insurance with no cost sharing, and if people are eligible for the Vaccines for Children Program, they will still be available through that program.

So what that means is that all these vaccines on the schedule that was released by HHS can still be accessed in accordance with existing recommendations from like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Family Physicians.

So, you know, they remain accessible but unfortunately what this new schedule will do is spur confusion among parents and providers about what vaccines to get and when.

But in New Jersey we're going to be crystal clear.

That's why we're you know for example continuing to recommend the hep B birth dose even though the CDC has amended the recommendations now a couple of times on that that birth dose.

It's a public health triumph.

Over 30 years we've basically eradicated perinatal cases of hep B and we haven't had one in New Jersey since 2013.

So we're going to continue to recommend that and you know we're going to continue.

We're going to look at this new schedule and make additional moves as we deem necessary.

So let me just put a fine point there because you say to a couple of significant things.

One insurance will still cover these vaccines even though they have been changed from the list of recommended to some.

Now as I mentioned and as you mentioned needing that conversation with a health care provider but also they will be accessible.

So vaccines for hepatitis A hepatitis B meningococcal disease.

Those are now recommended primarily for children considered at higher risk in New Jersey.

You can still get those.

That's what you're saying.

Well and you know even in the HHS announcement they made clear that these vaccines will continue to be covered without cost sharing and they would remain accessible in New Jersey.

We've taken additional steps and I want to highlight, you know, we've formed an interagency vaccine work group under Governor Murphy's leadership.

We have the Department of Banking and Assurance at the table, Department of Human Services, and you know, one example is the Department of Banking and Assurance here in New Jersey issued a bulletin basically stating that if the Department of Health recommends a vaccine that health plans that are regulated by New Jersey and available in New Jersey should continue to cover that.

So even absent HHS's declaration in their announcement yesterday, which these vaccines are still available and will be covered with insurance without cost sharing.

We've also taken steps in New Jersey to make sure that if that changes for some reason at the federal level, we're protected here in New Jersey.

We also run the vaccines for children's program here in New Jersey and, you know, work with the CDC closely on that.

And access to these vaccines through that program will not be impacted either.

And that was in the announcement yesterday as well.

And how much authority does the state have if we were to see this guidance continue to shift from the federal government or to shift more drastically.

Are those protections that are now in place something that would hold up.

So we have authority to make recommendations based on what we think are best for New Jersey citizens.

I do want to highlight though there are efforts right now in the New Jersey legislature, particularly from Senator Vitale, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, who are sponsoring bills to make clear in New Jersey law that the Department of Health has the authority to not only make recommendations for vaccines, but also that they can then be required to be covered by both Department of Banking and Insurance, Department of Human Services, and others.

So, I wanted to thank those legislative leaders who are working to see that happen.

We're hopeful that that bill makes it to the governor's desk, because that's something that will make crystal clear that we can do what we need to do to protect our citizens.

We do have things we can do even in absence of that.

And that's what you've seen us do with the COVID vaccine this year and the hepatitis B birth dose.

But I think that legislation will just make it crystal clear for everyone what our authority is and what we can do to protect New Jersey's citizens.

Commissioner, as you know, HHS says part of the reason that they're doing this is to rebuild public trust in vaccines in this system due to lots of confusion, misinformation, what have you.

From your experience, is narrowing the list of recommendations the way to build trust or what does it?

So the way you build trust is you share the basis for your decision making.

And the way you do that when it comes to vaccine recommendations is you share the underlying science, you share the underlying evidence, and you make that public.

You're transparent.

That has not happened in this case.

In this case, what HHS has said is, oh, we talked to other countries, we sort of consulted with people internally, but they haven't released any of that underlying data.

recommendations, we're clear.

We tie them to the recommendations for expert bodies who are very clear with the science and evidence beneath those recommendations.

And we're going to continue to do that.

So, you know, in my view, the way you build public trust is you're transparent, you're clear about why you're making a recommendation, and you back that up with actual science.

- We are already seeing a sharp rise in flu cases, both in New Jersey and nationally, even some pediatric deaths reported nationally.

What's your concern about narrowing these recommendations now, given the flu season that we're in, and also what we know about how even a slight drop in vaccinations, as far as herd immunity goes, can do to the consequences of outbreaks of preventable diseases?

- Yeah, Brianna, we are seeing, you know, an uptick in flu cases, that is for sure.

And, you know, the best way to protect yourself against getting the flu and getting complications from the flu is through vaccination.

So, you know, when people are confused about whether or not to get their children vaccinated, whether to get themselves vaccinated, that reduces vaccination rates.

And again, the flu vaccine is the best defense against complications from getting the flu.

So, you know, while we see flu cases rising, we want to emphasize that vaccinations remain your most effective defense.

Certainly, you know, common sense health hygiene practices like washing your hands, those can be helpful too.

You know, and most people recover from flu at home, but in the event there are complications, then you need to seek medical care.

But again, you know, vaccination is the best defense.

I worry that these new recommendations will spur confusion and reduce those vaccination rates.

We're gonna continue to recommend people get vaccinated for flu here, wherever they think it's beneficial.

For most people, it is beneficial.

And so, you know, again, we'd like to see more people get vaccinated, not less.

- All right, New Jersey State Acting Health Commissioner, Jeff Brown, thank you so much for your insight.

- Thank you for having me.

- State lawmakers are moving forward with new bills that'll give more protection to immigrants in New Jersey, advancing a bill package this week designed to shield them from federal agents, among other things.

Supporters say the measures will help immigrants feel safe, reporting crimes and going about their daily lives, while opponents argue the legislation goes too far and undermines public safety.

Raven Santana reports as part of our Under the Dome series.

(upbeat music) (audience applauding) Gracias.

After years of debate and a tense, closely watched hearing, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance a sweeping package of immigrant protections following hours of powerful and deeply personal testimony.

We are being hunted, separated from our families, captured and deported.

The hearing was moved to a larger state house room as hundreds packed in.

Overflow rooms opened, extra slips were printed, and testimony went on for hours.

Advocates warned fear of deportation is keeping people from reporting crimes, seeking care, or interacting with the government, putting public safety at risk.

How many people would be impacted by these bills?

- So one in every four New Jerseyans is an immigrant.

That's 2.3 million New Jersey residents of the nine million people that live in this state.

We have all paid witness, and many New Jersey residents have fallen victim to the flagrant violations of due process.

The three-bill package is a reworked version of the Immigrant Trust Act, which has stalled over legal and political concerns.

Together, the bills aim to strengthen trust between immigrant communities and government agencies.

One would codify the 2018 Immigrant which limits how local po Another would restrict go status unless required.

A sensitive locations like courthouses and houses of immigration enforcement.

testimony made the need f legislation clear.

People out, go by breakfast to t school to go to the docto every single day asking u support was not unanimous press supporters on the l the bills and whether the within local law enforcem have any reason to believe that our local law enforcement is not being fair, being trustworthy with these different groups?

Do you have any examples?

When I go out of my house every morning, I put my wallet in my pocket, I put my keys in my pocket.

But the difference is you don't take your passport.

You don't take your citizenship.

It would not look like this if there was no proof.

People do not leave work, travel here and testify about imaginary harm.

They're here because the heart is real.

Supporters of the legislation, including the Monmouth County prosecutor, warned fear and trauma are already silencing victims and keeping crimes unreported.

I can testify to the fact that since January of last year, that trust is a really level of cooperation that we are getting from victims and witnesses because of fear of concerns.

It's true.

The bills passed in a four, two vote along party lines.

And while advocates call it momentum, they say it's not the finish line.

The bill still need to pass the Senate and full assembly to reach governor Murphy's desk before he leaves office on January 20th.

For NJ spotlight news, I'm Raven Santana.

Under the Dome is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

That's going to do it for us tonight.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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