Essex County Prisons Hit 500-Dose Mark For COVID-19 Vaccines

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — More than 500 first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given to inmates and detainees in the custody of the Essex County Department of Corrections as of Wednesday, officials said.

Essex County has been running five COVID-19 vaccination sites for local residents in Livingston, Newark, West Caldwell and West Orange. Read More: Coronavirus Vaccines In Essex County (How To Get A Shot)

Some unused doses at the centers, which use the Moderna version, get transported to the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove, and others get taken to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, which houses a mix of inmates and federal immigration detainees.

• See related article: Here's Where Essex County Sends Its 'Open, Unused' COVID Vaccines

Meanwhile, Essex County has been using its supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccines to run a mobile vaccine program, going to senior buildings, churches and other locations throughout the area.

• See related article: Essex County To Go 'Mobile' With Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccines

Officials released the following statistics for inmate/detainee vaccinations on Wednesday, noting that the county also houses some inmates from Union County as part of a memorandum of understanding and agreement.

• See related article: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic; Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons

Essex County officials also offered an update on COVID-19 case statistics in its prisons and detention facilities.

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