100K In NJ Now Vaccinated For COVID As State Looks To Expand

NEW JERSEY — Three weeks after New Jersey first received vaccines for the coronavirus, more than 100,000 New Jersey residents have been vaccinated against the pandemic as the state looks to close a gap and expand vaccinations statewide.

State officials announced their intentions to expand as ShopRite also identified 39 new sites for COVID-19 vaccinations (see list below).

There is a gap of about 180,000 doses between the number of vaccines that were sent to the state and the number of residents who have been vaccinated, according to Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

“There’s no question there’s a reporting gap as part of this,” Murphy said. “In fact, as we sit here now, I suspect the number is many thousands more than the number Judy and I are using, which was as of this morning.”

That number, including frontline medical workers and residents and staff at the state’s long-term care facilities, stood at 101,417 residents, which represents about 1 percent of the state’s population. New Jersey was awarded over 400,000 vaccines in the month of December, and Persichilli said she expects the number of vaccinations to increase now that the holidays are over.

“We did get anecdotal information that people didn’t want to get vaccinated during the holidays in case they didn’t feel well,” Persichilli said.

She said some of the gap is also due to reporting, noting that the state’s psychiatric hospitals are behind in providing numbers to the state.

“So hopefully by the end of this week, we’ll have much better reporting,” Persichilli said.

Of the roughly 400,000 doses the state received, approximately 120,000 doses have been reserved for long-term care facilities and 280,000 doses have been allocated to hospitals and community sites, according to health officials.

The reported number of doses given out so far includes about 1,000 that were administered at long-term care facilities, and Persichilli hopes long-term care facilities can be taken care of by the end of January.

Murphy said the situation is common across the country, and reiterated that there have been no severe reactions to the vaccine so far.

There may also be a lag in administering the vaccine because there isn’t enough staffing to vaccinate on weekends.

“It’s part of the problem with shipping the thing out, and then asking the very people who are on the frontline fighting a pandemic to be the same people to not just get the vaccine, but to administer it,” Murphy said.

The state began administering the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 15, followed by the Moderna vaccine a week later. Two “megasites” will open later this week, in Gloucester County and one in Morris County, as the state continues to vaccinate residents in the Phase 1A group. Read more: Here's Who Is Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine First In New Jersey

Earlier in the day Monday, frontline workers at University Hospital in Newark began receiving their second doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer, making them the first residents of the state to become fully vaccinated against the disease.

Once vaccine availability expands, vaccination will advance to "Phase 1B," then "Phase 1C," and then "Phase 2," according to the state Department of Health.

Availability may be expanding soon, as Persichilli said the federal government has been holding back some of the vaccine to ensure there is enough for second doses.

They are being released now because Pfizer is ready to send out the second dose. New Jersey should receive the second doses of Moderna another seven days after that, Persichilli said.

The state is holding on to its second doses, so they can be distributed to sites that are vaccinating more quickly than others, Persichilli said.

Currently, Phase 1B of vaccination will include frontline essential workers and individuals over 75, but that continues to be under discussion.

A committee has been meeting twice a week to discuss who should get the vaccine next, as well as the rollout for Phase 1B.

“We’re balancing the number of healthcare workers remaining to be vaccinated based on surveys of people that are telling us they desire to be vaccinated versus vaccine availability,” Persichilli said. “Those numbers don’t match yet. When they get closer, we’ll open up 1B probably by segments, and start moving in the most essential workers with health and safety being at the front of the list.”

Phase 1C will include other essential workers, adults 65-74, and persons aged 16-64 with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19

However, some have said it is important to get vaccines to residents older than 65 and those with medical conditions faster than what is planned.

“Some states have turned their back on the 1A CDC protocols,” Murphy said. “Florida is one of them where the governor has said there’s no need to vaccinate a young healthy healthcare worker. Let’s put an older person up at the front of the line. I’d like our supplies to have the answer ‘and/both.’”

He reiterated the need for healthcare workers to get vaccinated because he doesn’t want to see the healthcare system get overrun.

“We feel really good about all our capacity except healthcare workers,” Murphy said. “The second shot will allow us to have that capacity that we have not been able to have.”

On Monday, ShopRite also announced that 39 of their pharmacies have been selected to distribute the vaccine as part of its partnership with the state of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

They will follow the federal government's distribution schedule. Vaccinations will be available by appointment only, while supplies last.

For more information on eligibility or to make an appointment, visit vaccines.shoprite.com or download the ShopRite Pharmacy mobile app and use the online scheduler. Appointment availability may be limited. The following ShopRites will offer vaccinations:

• ShopRite Pharmacy of Absecon
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Berlin
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Bernardsville
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Byram
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Chews Landing
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Clark
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Clinton
• ShopRite Pharmacy of East Brunswick
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Elizabeth
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Englewood
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Flanders
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Glassboro
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Greater Morristown
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Greenwich
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Hamilton Marketplace
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Hazlet
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Hillsborough
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Hunterdon
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Lincoln Park
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Little Falls
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Livingston
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Marlboro
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Marmora
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Medford
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Millville
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Mullica Hill
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Newark
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Newton
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Pennington
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Rio Grande
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Rochelle Park
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Somers Point
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Spotswood
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Union Mill Road
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Upper Deerfield
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Washington
• ShopRite Pharmacy of West Milford
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Manahawkin
• ShopRite Pharmacy of Fischer Boulevard

New Jersey's COVID-19 vaccination program aims to:

• Provide equitable access to all who live, work, and/or are educated in New Jersey
• Achieve community protection, assuming vaccine effectiveness, availability and uptake
• Build sustainable trust in COVID-19 and other vaccines

The state's goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of the adult population — or 4.7 million adults — within six months.

Murphy said New Jersey is also developing a vaccine portal that will keep track of the immunization program.

On Monday, officials announced 2,292 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 38 new deaths. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 494,317 New Jersey residents have tested positive for the coronavirus. There have been 17,223 confirmed deaths and 2,021 probable deaths.