Vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are being administered at several other locations in New Jersey on Thursday, the first day that more than 4 million people became eligible to receive the vaccines.
Currently, there are 128 vaccination sites listed on the state’s website as health officials come up with a plan to inoculate 70% of the adult population.
The shots were initially given to health professionals, long-term residents, others in social settings, police and firefighters.
But Murphy announced on Wednesday that anyone aged 65 and over and those aged 16 to 64 with specific medical conditions can make appointments for vaccines starting today.
This includes 1.47 million people aged 65 and over, 2 million smokers and up to 1 million other people with chronic health conditions. (Smokers are considered to have a high-risk health condition).
Lawmakers are also pushing for teachers to be vaccinated, pointing to other states like New York, which has prioritized vaccine educators.
In the next six months, New Jersey plans to vaccinate about 4.7 million people. The general public should be able to receive vaccines by April or May, according to state and federal authorities.
There will be six mega distribution sites in New Jersey, officials said. Murphy said more will come with up to 259 planned locations.
Here is the most recent list of vaccination sites listed by the state, although availability of doses may affect appointment times. Supplies can also fluctuate daily as the federal government sends more vaccines to states.
As of Thursday, at least 277,118 doses have been administered across the state, of 654,900 doses distributed in New Jersey, according to the state panel and the CDC tracker. According to the state, 245,785 received the first dose and 31,239 the second.
More than 1.2 million people signed up on the state’s online portal to receive the vaccine, officials said.
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Anthony G. Attrino can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Meet NJ.com on Facebook.