NEW JERSEY – Government Murphy says teachers are “on deck” for vaccination now that New Jersey has released a new priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Murphy, who spoke to MSNBC late Thursday, suggested teachers are likely to be next on the list, as long as New Jersey can get more money from the federal government to distribute the vaccine.
Murphy reiterated his position at a Friday news conference, saying, “I promise you: we need to get more stock.”
“I will choose our blessed, heroic educators as an example: they are on deck,” he said. “We can not wait to reach the wider population.
Murphy said he was hopeful that the new Biden government, which had announced plans to pass a substantial COVID-19 financial and vaccine distribution package on Thursday, would make it happen. (see the state’s new vaccination plan below).
“They are in the circle on the deck,” Murphy told MSNBC about teachers, “and we need the federal stock to grow.”
Murphy told MSNBC that he wanted to expand the distribution of vaccines to more people, but “it is difficult to be satisfied if there are supplies from the foods that are much less than we were promised.”
Murphy also said there was a major delay in the data reporting, which may explain why 654,000 doses were allegedly sent to New Jersey, but only 277,000 were administered.
“We are not sitting on any supplies,” he said. “There is no government warehouse. Every dose is at a distribution point or in a CVS or Walgreens store.”
Murphy said New Jersey followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines “fairly thoroughly to determine how the vaccine should be distributed.”
“We are going to reach out to educators sooner rather than later and again more federal offer will help us get there faster,” he said.
New Jersey is implementing COVID-19 vaccines step by step to serve all adults living, working or being trained in the state, officials said.
The state’s goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of the adult population – or 4.7 million adults – within six months. While the state’s current plan is highlighted below, the plan will be constantly updated in response to the changing circumstances of the pandemic, officials said.
To determine which vaccination phase you are in and are notified when you are eligible for a vaccine, you must pre-register for the vaccine.
Who is currently eligible for vaccination?
Vaccines are currently available for the following groups:
Healthcare staff (Phase 1A)
Paid and unpaid persons serving in health care institutions who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including, but not limited to:
- Licensed healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dentists
- Staff such as receptionists, housekeepers, mortuary services, laboratory technicians
- Consultants, daily allowances, and contractors not directly employed by the facility
- Unpaid workers such as health professionals, pupils, volunteers and essential caregivers
- Community workers, doulas and health professionals like Medical Reserve Corps
- Staff with various venues such as EMS, paramedics, funeral staff and autopsy workers
- All workers in acute, pediatric and behavioral hospitals and outpatient surgical centers
- All workers in health care facilities such as psychiatric facilities, federally qualified health centers and rehabilitation centers
- All workers in clinic-based environments, such as emergency care clinics, dialysis centers and family planning sites
- All workers in long-term care institutions, such as old age homes, assistance facilities, group homes and others
- All workers in occupational health care establishments, such as on-the-job health clinics, shelters, prisons, colleges and universities, and K-12 schools
- All workers in community-based health care facilities, such as PACE and Adult Living Community Nursing
- All workers in home institutions such as hospices, home care and visiting nursing services
- All workers in office-based health care establishments, such as doctor’s and dental offices
- All employees in public health institutions, such as local health departments, LINCS agencies, harm reduction centers and medicinal marijuana programs
- All workers in retail, independent and institutional pharmacies
- Other paid or unpaid persons who work in a health care institution, who may have direct or indirect contact with infectious persons or materials and who may not work at home.
Residents and staff for long-term care (phase 1A)
All residents and staff of long-term and community care facilities, including:
- Skilled nursing homes
- Veterans’ Homes
- Group homes such as home care homes, family homes for adults, foster homes for adults and group homes for the intellectual and developmental disabilities
- HUD 202 Support residences for the elderly
- Institutional institutions such as psychiatric hospitals, correctional institutions, prisons in the country and detention facilities for juveniles (for suitable minors, eg 16+ years old, may be eligible for Pfizer vaccination under emergency use authorization)
- Other vulnerable composite long-term settings
First responders (phase 1B)
Sworn law enforcers, firefighters and other first responders, including:
- New Jersey Police Troops
- Municipal and rural police officers
- Campus Police Officers
- Detectives in prosecutors’ offices and government agencies
- State Agencies / Government Law Enforcement Officers (such as Police and Conservation Officers in State Park, Interstate Parkway officers in Palisades, Human Services Police and NJ Transit Police)
- Investigators, parolees and security guards
- Specialists in aviation
- Sworn federal law enforcement and special agents
- Two-state law enforcement officers (such as the port authority)
- Court Security Officers
- Paid and unpaid members of firefighting services (structural and wild countries)
- Paid and unpaid members of search and rescue units, including technical rescue units and HAZMAT teams
- Paid and unpaid firefighters providing emergency medical services
- Paid and unpaid members of industrial units providing fire, rescue and HAZMAT services
- Members of the Office of the State Army Marshal
- Two-state fire brigade personnel (such as the port authority)
Individuals at high risk (Phase 1B)
Individuals aged 65 and over, and individuals aged 16-64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which increase the risk of serious diseases due to the virus. These conditions include:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Down syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg / m2 or higher, but <40 kg / m2)
- Severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg / m2)
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoke
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Persons who are pregnant and who are in an immune-weakened state (weakened immune system) of solid organ transplantation are also eligible, but must follow CDC guidance and discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccination.
If you are currently eligible, click here for more information on where you can be vaccinated.
Who is next eligible?
- Additional essential workers in the front line (Phase 1B)
- Other essential workers and people living in a communal area (Phase 1C)
- General population (Phase 2)
This group has been designated as 1B and is likely to be:
- Food service workers
- Port Authority workers
- New Jersey Transit Workers
- Teachers, staff and child care workers
- Workers supporting news and media services for radio, printing, internet and television
- Other Critical Workers (CISA)
- Other essential workers
This group was originally named 1C:
- People who live or work in congregations or overcrowded areas – such as colleges and universities
- People who live or work in congregations or overcrowded areas – such as migrant workers
- People who live or work in congregations or overcrowded areas – other tribal populations
- Other people at high risk for COVID-19 disease due to carriers, occupations, demographics, etc.
NOTE: Vaccination phases are preliminary and subject to change. The movement between vaccination phases can be fluid. One phase can overlap with each other. Not all individuals in each phase will be vaccinated before starting for additional groups, and not all groups within a specific phase will be eligible to receive the vaccine at the same time.
An announcement about when additional essential workers on the front line and high-risk individuals will be eligible for the Phase 1B and Phase 1C vaccine is coming, officials said.
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