Essex County Official Gets Vaccinated After Beating Coronavirus

CALDWELLS, NJ — The coronavirus pandemic had just begun to hit New Jersey in April 2020, when Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19. Now, almost 10 months later, the county executive has reached another milestone after recovering from the virus – his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Thursday, DiVincenzo reported that he got his first dose of the vaccine. He got inoculated at the Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology, one of five local sites run by the county.

“I encourage everyone to register and get your vaccine,” DiVincenzo said afterwards, adding that people should visit the county’s website at www.EssexCOVID.org to register and find out if they’re eligible. READ MORE: Here's Where Essex County COVID Vaccine Sites Have Been Announced

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, who was also infected with the coronavirus last spring, got vaccinated earlier this month at the site in West Orange.

• See related article: Essex County Executive, Sheriff Recovering From Coronavirus

Should people who already contracted the virus – and recovered – get vaccinated? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the answer is yes.

The CDC states on its website:

“Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that reinfection with COVID-19 is possible, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. If you were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.”

The CDC adds:

“Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called ‘natural immunity,’ varies from person to person. It is rare for someone who has had COVID-19 to get infected again. It also is uncommon for people who do get COVID-19 again to get it within 90 days of when they recovered from their first infection. We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until we have more data on how well the vaccines work. Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are working to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.”

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