NOVA JERSEY – As the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine continues in New Jersey, there are many questions about how to obtain it, where to obtain it and who is eligible.
The biggest question that people have, of course, is when they can be vaccinated.
On Friday, health commissioner Judith Persichilli said more than 310,000 doses of the vaccine were administered in the state, and New Jersey has received about 106,000 doses per week – 53,000 for the Modern vaccine, 53,000 for the Pfizer vaccine.
With the expansion last week of the vaccine eligible list, there are more than 4 million New Jersey residents who can receive it. Read more: NJ Issues New List of COVID Vaccine Priorities; Teachers ‘on deck’
Governor Phil Murphy said on Friday that with the opening of mega-sites for vaccine delivery, in addition to county and pharmacy locations, the state has the capacity to carry out thousands of vaccinations; it is the supply of the federal government that is lacking.
On Friday, a quarter of the six mega-sites opened, and there are more than 160 smaller sites – including vaccination clinics and pharmacies – administering the doses.
“We have distribution capabilities,” said Murphy. “We only need supplies from the feds to meet this demand, and it is becoming increasingly clear that we are ready, but they are not.”
“We could use 470,000 doses a week,” said Persichilli.
Here are some questions and answers on how to apply, where vaccines are being administered and when vaccines may be available:
Which mega-sites are open?
The locations in Meadowlands and the Atlantic City Convention Center are scheduled to open this week.
How can you register for a vaccination?
The state is now registering for vaccine appointments now with the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System. More than 1.5 million New Jersey residents have registered on the site, Persichilli said.
Residents can visit covid19.nj.gov/vaccine to pre-register.
Are all vaccination posts linked to the state registration system?
No. Persichilli said that there are several sites without links.
Many of them “are based in hospitals and hospitals are using their own registration system that they use for their patients every day,” she said. “(It is) a little heavier than we would like, but … the registration systems that hospitals are familiar with are functioning and functioning well.”
What happens when I register?
In the state’s vaccine scheduling system, find the county where you want to make an appointment. If there are no vaccination posts listed that are linked to the state’s registration system, you will be directed to a link or information about the vaccination post closest to you and can call or register through the link on that site.
Will we be notified when time is available?
Yes. Persichilli said that emails are sent in batches when appointments are available on mega-sites. Some locations in the county are linked to the marking system via the NJ Vaccine Scheduling System, but not all.
Persichilli said that more than 66,000 emails were sent to tell people that they can schedule an appointment; as of Friday, more than 10,000 had scheduled their appointments.
“Currently, there are many more people looking for vaccination than there are consultations available across the state,” she said, urging people to be patient. “As the vaccine supply increases, additional places will be made available for people to make appointments.”
What if you don’t want to go to a mega site?
You can make an appointment directly with one of the many designated vaccination sites across the state. Click here to see a complete list of these designated vaccination sites. Murphy said that mega-sites are more likely to have greater naming capacity earlier than smaller sites.
Can I make an appointment without going online?
As of Saturday, there is no telephone number for registration or appointment for the reception of the elderly and others who do not have a computer or Internet access.
Persichilli said a call center is under construction and should be up and running in the next two weeks.
Will the state’s vaccine registration system automatically assign appointments?
Murphy said there are no plans for the system to automatically assign appointments, so those who sign up should keep an eye out for the email notifying them when they can make an appointment.
What about those who don’t have access to drive to a mega site or local site in your area?
The state is working on plans for mobile vans that will go to underserved communities, with COVID-19 information, education on vaccines and vaccinations. This is expected to begin “as soon as we have enough vaccines for wider dissemination,” said Persichilli.
“Right now the demand is much greater than the offer, please, we ask the public to be patient. The state is working hard to vaccinate as many people as possible with the available doses we have, ”she said.
“I want to make a distinction between mega sites and county sites. There are several counties that have built their own websites. And very appropriately, they will give priority to county residents first, ”said Persichilli. “I want to make this clear, go to a mega site, with the site supported by the state anyone can go there, but the counties will give priority to the residents of the county first. And if others appear, they will do the callback system to make sure that, at the end of the day, all doses will be used. “
“There will be more vaccine every week next week. We ask everyone to be patient,” she said.
Click here to get patch notifications by email or download our app so that breaking news alerts are sent directly to your phone. Got a news tip? Email [email protected] Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.