Vaccinations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were administered Thursday at several other sites in New Jersey, the first day more than 4 million extra people were eligible to receive the shots.
There are currently 128 vaccination sites on the state’s website, as health officials continue with a plan to vaccinate 70% of the adult population.
The shots were initially given to health workers, long-term caregivers, others in residential areas, police and firefighters.
But Murphy announced Wednesday that anyone aged 65 or older and those between the ages of 16 and 64 with specific medical conditions can make appointments for vaccinations from today.
This includes 1.47 million who are 65 years and older, 2 million smokers and up to 1 million others with chronic health conditions. (Smokers are considered a high risk health condition).
Lawmakers are also urging teachers to be vaccinated, pointing to other states such as New York, which have put educators ahead of the shots.
In the next six months, New Jersey plans to vaccinate about 4.7 million people. According to state and federal officials, the general public should be able to receive the vaccinations by April or May.
Officials said there will be six mega-sites distributed in New Jersey. Murphy said more come with up to 259 locations planned.
Government officials have asked people to register to receive the vaccine online, but a confirmation is not required to make an appointment once you are eligible.
Here is the latest list of vaccination sites listed by the state, although the availability of doses may affect appointment times. Stocks can also fluctuate daily as the federal government sends more vaccines to states.
According to Thursday, at least 277,118 doses were given across the state out of 654,900 doses distributed to New Jersey, according to the dashboard and the CDC’s tracker. According to the state, 245,785 received a first dose and 31,239 the second dose.
More than 1.2 million people have registered on the state’s online portal to receive the vaccine, officials said.
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Anthony G. Attrino can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.