New Jersey residents can make an appointment to receive the coronavirus vaccine in several ways, although only a very small percentage of the state’s population has received the vaccine so far.
This is mainly because most people in the Garden State are not yet eligible for vaccination. Qualified individuals include those in priority groups, specifically health professionals, first responders, people over 65 and those with chronic health conditions.
All New Jersey residents can pre-register for vaccination through the state’s COVID-19 Online Vaccine Registration website. The state also offers a call center for marking vaccines, but there have been reports of people waiting for hours while trying to pass.
New Jersey does not have a centralized vaccine marking system. Instead, there are more than 200 vaccination sites, 90 phone numbers to call and 79 different sites that eligible people across the state can check while trying to schedule an appointment.
Consultation at the vaccination site is almost always necessary. The cases where people got a chance without scheduling in advance are extremely rare – not least because, even though employees are willing to write down the information of people who hope to get a chance in lieu of a no-show commitment, they won t necessarily contact them.
“We can’t just decide if we’re eligible,” said Leslie Kantor, a professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. “Some people, it’s completely clear. Health workers, they will pass immediately. “But for others, even those who recently qualified for a vaccine, including those between the ages of 18 and 64 with certain underlying health conditions – there may be a delay because other groups are not finished yet, she noted.
Kantor approved New Jersey’s eligible residents who try to arrange meetings with several different locations – as long as they remain responsible in case of overbooking.
“As we have a challenging supply situation and we do not have centralized programming, it is clear that it is okay to try to get commitments in different locations,” said Kantor. “If you happen to receive more than one, cancel one.”
New Jersey is currently in the process of creating more vaccine options for its residents. Governor Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday that a federal retail pharmacy program with Rite Aid and CVS will be launched next week, and that the state is expanding its COVID vaccine distribution program to include some places of worship and community centers. .
The Rockaway Townsquare in Morris County, one of six mega coronavirus vaccine sites, schedules an online consultation with the Atlantic Health System, which also allows individuals to sign up to receive vaccine alerts that are sent to their phone or email address.
In the vaccination megasite in the Atlantic City Convention Center, bookings are made online through AtlantiCare; at the vaccination site of the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment Complex in Bergen County, bookings can be made virtually with Hackensack Meridian Health.
Both the Moorestown Mall in Burlington County and the New Jersey Convention and Exhibition Center in Middlesex County require qualified individuals to first complete a separate online vaccine registration form with Virtua Health and Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health, respectively, after which they will receive an email or text to schedule their appointment.
Rowan College of South Jersey in Gloucester County schedules appointments through registrations made on the state website.
In addition to mega vaccination sites, eligible New Jersey residents can follow a myriad of other ways to make an appointment to receive the vaccine.
The Department of Health of Burlington County has partnered with the state and Virtua Health to operate the Burlington County mega site at Moorestown Mall, announcing on its website that the county will not receive a vaccine in the coming weeks for new first dose clinics. Previously, the county operated clinics at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center in Westampton.
Appointments in Burlington County can also be made by calling or visiting Boyd’s pharmacy websites, visiting the ShopRite pharmacy website, calling or scheduling electronically with the Riverside Medical Group emergency service in Willingboro or making an appointment with the Southern family. Jersey Medical Centers in Buttonwood or Burlington City.
Residents of Hunterdon County you can apply online to receive a vaccine at clinics located in Flemington and coordinated by the county Health Department, or try to make an appointment with the ShopRite pharmacy in Flemington or Clinton. Qualified residents can also call Hunterdon Healthcare’s Vaccine Call Center to schedule an appointment at one of the network’s many clinics.
The greatest number of vaccine opportunities are currently found in Essex County, where medical centers, including Hackensack Meridian Health, are accepting online consultations and several consultations at Newark Community Health Centers by telephone.
In addition to ShopRite pharmacies and small urgent care facilities, there are also health facilities in Essex County that are administering the vaccine, ranging from the Vanguard Medical Group – which is only accepting vaccine appointments for its patients via an app online scheduling – and St. Michael’s Hospital – where appointments can be made online.
People who live, work or attend school in Warren County you can make an appointment to receive the vaccine at North Warren High School, the Southwest Branch Library or the Good Will Fire Company online.
Warren County residents can make appointments through the Hunterdon Healthcare Vaccine Call Center for Hunterdon Family Medicine in Riverfield, Washington, or via the Atlantic Health System to Hackettstown Medical Center. St. Luke’s in Phillipsburg is requiring all individuals interested in receiving the vaccine to register for a MyChart account, through which they can complete the hospital’s brief questionnaire and then be notified to schedule the vaccine.
In other countries, vaccination opportunities are much more limited. In addition to making appointments at ShopRite pharmacies in Rio Grande or Marmora, Cape May County residents can obtain the vaccine at county clinics by pre-registering for the vaccine in the state. Middlesex and Somerset County Health Departments also coordinate consultations in the state, not the county.
Inside Salem County, individuals have the option of making an online appointment for vaccination clinics orchestrated by the county’s Department of Health and Human Services. They can also obtain the injection at the Southern Jersey Family Medical Center in Salem by making an appointment online.
Some New Jersey residents live in counties that have created coronavirus vaccine options for their residents. The Vineland Department of Health in Cumberland County is offering vaccine clinics, for which residents can schedule appointments online.
Hoboken in Hudson County has partnered with Riverside Medical Group and Hoboken University Medical Center to provide a coronavirus vaccine to its residents and healthcare professionals. Qualified groups must first complete an online form, after which they will be contacted by a team member to officially schedule a meeting.
Individuals can register to receive a coronavirus vaccine at the state Department of Health online here or call to make an appointment using a toll-free phone line.
The complete list of vaccination opportunities in the state, broken down by municipality, can be found here.
To learn more about vaccines and their distribution in your county, click on your county below:
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Caroline Fassett can be contacted at [email protected].