Many people are asking how,
and when, vaccines will be distributed across New Jersey, as they move closer
toward getting approval.
According to state health
officials, the first group of people that can get any of the vaccines being
developed is both paid, and unpaid, health care workers, followed by the
state's more vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens.
If
Pfizer gets their
emergency use authorization in time, the state expects to have its first
130,000 doses by the 3rd week of December, and another 130,000
within the following week. As for
Moderna, the state could be looking at
100,000 doses by the end of the year.
“Vaccination is an important
step in helping to prevent this illness and its potentially devastating
consequences,” says Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the Department of Health. “The early news of the
effectiveness of these vaccines means that there may be light at the end of the
tunnel. It is vital that our health care personnel get vaccinated, not only for
their own protection, but also to set an example for the rest of us."
One issue the state is facing
is that right away there wouldn't be enough vaccines to cover all of the
state's health care workers. To help solve this problem, a committee was put
together to create a framework to determine priority. The framework must be approved by
Gov. Phil Murphy and will be released before the first doses arrive.
As for when the vaccines
would reach the state's general population, the governor says between April and
May.