MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey health officials reported the state’s first confirmed pediatric influenza death of the 2025-2026 season on Jan. 9, as they urged residents to get vaccinated against the flu and other respiratory viruses during what they described as a severe winter season.
The announcement came just days before the Northeast Public Health Collaborative said it would continue recommending the American Academy of Pediatrics’ child and adolescent immunization schedule, even after recent federal revisions to childhood vaccine guidance. Together, the two developments underscore both the immediate threat of respiratory illness in New Jersey and a broader national dispute over how routine vaccine guidance should be set and communicated.
In its Jan. 9 release, the New Jersey Department of Health said the child was from the northern region of the state, was under 5 years old, and had no known underlying health conditions. The department did not identify the child. Media coverage of the state’s announcement later reported that the child died in North Jersey.
“This flu season is already shaping up to be a very serious one, with more cases than previous years and, tragically, one child’s death this week. We extend our deepest condolences to the child’s family,” Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown said in the department’s statement. Brown urged residents to get vaccinated, saying the state was seeing elevated illness levels and that vaccination remains one of the best ways to reduce the spread of flu and prevent serious complications.
According to the department, the number of people sick with influenza, the number seeking medical care, and the number being admitted to hospitals all remain very elevated. NJDOH and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend flu vaccination for everyone age 6 months and older, with special concern for higher-risk groups such as young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant people and recent mothers, and people with chronic conditions including asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.
State officials also emphasized that it is not too late to get vaccinated, noting that flu activity can continue through the spring and sometimes into May. The department said it can take about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build its strongest protection. Vaccines are available through health care providers, pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, and local health departments, with low- or no-cost options also available through the state’s Vaccines for Children program and a 317-funded adult vaccination program for some uninsured or underinsured residents.
Most people with the flu recover at home, the department said, but residents should contact a health care provider if symptoms become severe or worsen, especially if they are in a high-risk group. NJDOH said antiviral medications work best when started early. Officials urged residents to seek emergency care for warning signs such as trouble breathing, constant chest pain, confusion, severe vomiting, or illness that seems to improve and then suddenly worsens with higher fever or a stronger cough. For children, the department said emergency warning signs include bluish skin, not drinking enough fluids, or being unusually sleepy and hard to wake.
A few days later, on Jan. 12, NJDOH posted a statement on behalf of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary coalition of public health agencies, saying it continues to recommend the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. The group said that position came in response to a Jan. 5, 2026 decision memorandum signed by the acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which the collaborative said reduced the number of immunizations routinely recommended for all U.S. children.
The collaborative argued that the federal change did not follow established procedures for setting vaccine recommendations and warned that it could create confusion for families. It also stressed that authority over vaccination requirements and recommendations lies with states and other appropriate jurisdictions, and said parents should continue making vaccine decisions in consultation with their child’s health care provider.
At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services described the Jan. 5 action as an update to how the childhood immunization schedule is organized. National reporting, however, has characterized the move as a more significant narrowing of which vaccines are recommended for every child.
For families in Morris County and across New Jersey, the state’s message is straightforward in the near term: flu and other respiratory viruses are spreading widely, and health officials are urging people to use vaccination and common-sense prevention steps, including staying home when sick and masking in crowded indoor settings, to reduce severe illness and protect vulnerable people.