New Jersey expands who is eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine

(The Center Square) – Starting today, more New Jersey residents are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, including smokers in the Garden State.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced the news during a Wednesday briefing that included denunciations of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump.

Residents who are 65 years old and older and residents between 16 and 64 years old with “certain medical conditions” defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are eligible for the vaccination.

“Over the last several months, our Administration has built the infrastructure and laid the groundwork to support New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination demand,” Murphy said in a news release. “Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are ready to begin ramping up our vaccination efforts exponentially and are confident in our ability to provide every willing New Jersey resident with a vaccine when it is available and they are eligible.”

According to the state, conditions include smoking, cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart conditions, sickle cell disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Pregnant residents and those who are immunocompromised from a solid organ transplant are also eligible to receive the vaccine, but state officials recommended patients first discuss vaccination with their medical provider.

“Expanding access to vaccine to individuals in these categories is critical as we know they are at greater risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a news release. “Eighty percent of COVID-19 deaths in New Jersey have been among those 65 and older and overall 67 percent of deaths had one or more underlying conditions reported.”

Under the initial Phase 1A, about 650,000 people, including health care workers, were eligible to receive the vaccine. The new additions are part of Phase 1B, which also includes sworn law enforcement and fire professionals.

State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, R-Monmouth, called for educators in the Garden State to be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Other states, like New York, have prioritized educators and since the administration often follows lockstep with them, why aren’t we doing that here?” DiMaso said in a news release.

“I’m pleased to see that our elderly population will be eligible immediately,” DiMaso added. “Now we must continue that expansion to more of our essential workers – teachers. While we, thankfully, have not had many serious outbreaks in our schools it is very clear that schools must remain open. Providing educators with the vaccine is yet another way to ensure that both our children and our teachers stay safe while providing critically necessary in-person instruction.”

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