COVID Vaccine Clinic Cut To Once A Week In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County is shifting to a once-a-week COVID vaccination clinic as there is a reduction in demand.

The clinics held at the Senior Wellness Center in Bridgewater will now only be held on Wednesdays only beginning on March 9.

"I can’t stress how important it continues to be for everyone to follow CDC recommendations and get vaccinated and boosted to protect themselves and their loved ones from serious cases of COVID-19," said Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. "Anyone who wants to be vaccinated can come to our Wednesday clinic or a mobile clinic, and if there is a need we are ready to ramp up to quickly provide more clinics."

As a result of the county's efforts since December 2020 to be sure that every resident who wants to be vaccinated has access to the vaccine, 76.5 percent of Somerset County residents are vaccinated and 59 percent are boosted, the highest rates for both in the state.

"When there was great demand for COVID vaccinations and testing during Omicron we were ready to accommodate it at our clinics and with our partners, but now there is less demand and we are moving to once-a-week clinics supplemented by mobile clinics when requested," said Commissioner Doug Singleterry, liaison to the Department of Health. “We’ve learned so much about how to rapidly and effectively distribute vaccine to the public over the past year, and while we are hopeful we will not need to do so, our fantastic Department of Health is ready to expand its vaccination clinics quickly."

Additionally, the county has suspended the twice-weekly COVID testing clinics in recognition of the wide availability of testing kits from the state and federal governments, and from local medical providers.

These changes in Somerset County come as low COVID-19 levels are being reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SomersetCounty is among 13 other counties in New Jersey to report low COVID-19 levels. Read More: Updated COVID Risk Levels In NJ: See New CDC Map

Two years after the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in New Jersey, Murphy signed Executive Order 292, which ends the public health emergency he declared in January as the omicron variant led to a surge in COVID-19 infections ion on March 4. Read More: NJ COVID Emergency Shifts To 'Endemic': What That Means For You

The school mask mandate in districts, day cares and school buses also was lifted on Monday, March 7. Read More: School Bus Mask Mandate Dropped: What Does It Mean For NJ Kids?

On Friday, Somerset County reported 13 new cases and 252 cases since Feb. 26.

Check out some of the efforts Somerset County’s Department of Health’s outreach has included:

• December 2020 – Somerset County receives first doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine and begins vaccinating health care workers and first responders
• January 2021 – Drive thru clinics for first responders, health care workers, and older residents with underlying conditions at Raritan Valley Community College
• February 2021 – Partnering with FEMA to address racial disparities with a mega-clinic at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Franklin
• February 2021 – Developing a Senior Citizen Waiting List to ensure appointments were available for older residents
• April 2021 – Upon federal approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, began vaccinating the homebound in their residences
• May 2021 – Somerset County expanded its drive-thru clinic to include Rutgers Plaza in Franklin, and held as many as eight pop-up clinics in underserved communities such as Bound Brook, Manville, North Plainfield, and Somerville
• June 2021 – Began partnering with schools to vaccinate students 12 and older
• July 2021 – Somerset County surpasses 71% vaccination of all residents 12 and older
• August/September 2021 – Expanded both testing and vaccination partnership with schools to make in-person education safer and less stressful. In-school closed clinics continue through 2022.
• October 2021 – Booster shots become available at all Somerset County clinics as recommended by the CDC
• November 2021 – Somerset County sets up weekly Friday clinics for 5-11 years olds to help shorten lines and ease the stress of vaccination for the children
• December 2021 – Somerset County launched the “Give Your Holidays a Boost” campaign to expand the percentage of vaccinated and boosted residents
• January 2022 – In recognition of the effectiveness of booster doses against serious illness from Omicron, Somerset County pushes booster vaccinations at all its clinics leading to a state leading 59% booster rate
• February 2022 – With the reduced threat of Omicron, Somerset County opens five Senior Wellness Centers for in-person services and meals, and reduces the number of weekly vaccination clinics due to lowered demand

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.