Steve Adubato speaks with Asm. Herb Conaway, MD (D) – NJ, 7th Legislative District, and Chair, Assembly Health Committee, to address the biggest challenges for 2021 as Chair of the Assembly Health Committee; the disparities in health outcomes of minorities; COVID vaccine resistance in the African American community; and the impact of the new federal rules on organ procurement organizations.

Asm. Herb Conaway says that COVID-19 has exacerbated the racial health disparities that already existed, “When you look at the statistics who became ill, who died of Covid, who is getting vaccinated for Covid, you see that there are disparities…because of the glaring light the pandemic has brought to these issues and has rightly caused government officials and healthcare officials, public health officials, to pay more attention to the issues and take steps to address them.”

He says it is every citizen’s right to not get vaccinated, “But it’s also well within the governments responsibility to take measures in response to your refusal to vaccinate. We do this in the vaccination program for school-aged children. You have a right not to vaccinate your child, but the government and society also has the right and responsibility to say then your children needs to be excluded from school.” Conaway says this same idea applies to employers requiring their employees to be vaccinated.