High Percentage Of People Over 30 In Hoboken Have Gotten A COVID Shot

HOBOKEN, NJ — Most Hoboken residents over 30 have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Ravi Bhalla said Tuesday night, also noting that local cases are starting to rise again.

Bhalla gave these statistics for vaccinated residents:

• All ages: 76 percent (first dose)
• 12 and over: 88 percent (first dose)
• 18 and over: 85 percent (first dose)
• 30 and over: 95 percent (first dose)
• 65 and over: Almost 100 percent (first dose)
• All ages: 69 percent (second dose)
• 12 and over: 79 percent (second dose)
• 18 and over: 76 percent (second dose)
• 30 and over: 86 percent (second dose)
• 65 and over: 99 percent (second dose)

What About Young Kids?

Bhalla said that since the CDC and FDA expanded the eligibility requirements for booster vaccines and allowed kids under 12 to get the shot nearly a month ago, city clinics have administered more than 800 pediatric vaccines and 1,000 booster shots.

This week, kids under 12 who got the first shot at city clinics three weeks ago began receiving their second dose.

"Unfortunately, we are beginning to see an increase in positive COVID-19 cases as socializing returns indoors due to the colder weather," Bhalla said. "I encourage everyone eligible to please roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated, including our youth."

Bhalla said that recently, day care classrooms have had to close down because of the virus.

The CDC has estimated that more than 1,400 American children have lost a caregiver to the virus.

City Statistics

The Hoboken Health Department reported 83 cases from Nov. 20-26 inclusive. No one is hospitalized in Hoboken's hospital fighting the virus. The hospital has not admitted anyone for the virus since September, when there were 9 patients fighting it.

Since the pandemic's onset, the city of Hoboken has had 6,172 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 56 fatalities.

Medical professionals said that the vaccine will not prevent all cases, but drastically cuts down on hospitalizations and deaths from the virus, as well as the spread to others.

The Omicron Variant

Bhalla noted, "The World Health Organization recently designated a new variant, Omicron, as a 'variant of concern,' but little is known about this variant first identified in South Africa. We don't yet know if it is more transmissible or more severe than the variants we have seen so far, but the WHO and CDC are conducting studies. As we have done since the pandemic began, we will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with state health officials."

Read more of the city's update, and get information about where to obtain a vaccine or coronavirus testing, here.

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