Hudson County is one of the most populated counties in New Jersey, but it is dead-last when it comes to vaccination rates, according to Sen. Bob Menendez. The senator is calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to increase the rollout in the county.
But Hoboken, located in the county, is expecting another big boost in its vaccination process starting on Thursday.
City resident Luis Vargas breathed a huge sigh of relief when he received his second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Hoboken CarePoint Hospital on Wednesday.
“I know I would not be contagious and I will not infect anyone else, which is the most important thing,” he said. “Also, I can hug my mother, I can see my friends.”
Vargas credits the city for making the vaccine as available and the process as easy as it was for him.
“I feel hopeful because before, things were so slow. But now, you see lines outside and it makes a big difference,” he said.
Hudson County has been struggling to keep up with vaccination rates, when compared to other parts of New Jersey. This is partly because of the county’s density and diversity. In Hoboken, city and hospital administrators point to an existing relationship that started early in the pandemic, and continues to set the city up for success as they tackle the vaccination process together.
Hoboken CarePoint Hospital has been getting about 600 Moderna doses per week. Starting on Thursday, the number of vaccine doses will nearly double as Hoboken becomes the first municipality in Hudson County to offer the Pfizer vaccine as well.
"Pfizer allows us now to expand to higher numbers to the community, increases our rates of vaccination, expand our hours and capture a larger group,” says chief hospital executive Ann Logan.
The city has purchased a special freezer to store more than 1,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hoboken is also reaching out to its homebound residents. They expect a shipment of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine that will be administered door-to-door to those who can't leave their homes. Anyone who fits that category should register with the city as soon as possible.