Sussex County To Open Coronavirus Vaccination Site

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Sussex County Department of Health & Human Services Division of Health announced Friday that its coronavirus vaccination site will open Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 in accordance with the state’s phased distribution.

The coronavirus vaccination site will be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, located at 37 Plains Rd. in Augusta.

According to county officials, residents must qualify to receive the vaccine by meeting the phase criteria set forth by the New Jersey Department of Health. Currently the state is in "Phase 1A" of vaccination distribution.

This means that long-term care residents and health care personnel that are both paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials currently qualify for the vaccine. Also eligible are sworn law enforcement personnel and fire professionals, which include but are not limited to police officers and paid and unpaid firefighters.

To receive the vaccine, eligible residents must make an appointment. No walk-ins are allowed.

"If you come to the site and do not have a scheduled pre-approved appointment you will be turned away," county officials said in a news release.

The vaccine will distributed following the guidance set forth by the New Jersey Department of Health. This means the vaccine will be given to the public in four phases.

The other phases that will eventually roll out over time at the state's discretion are:

• Phase 1B: Includes other essential workers, other high risk individuals, and adults over 75. At this time the definition of “other essential workers” is still being determined. These individuals may begin to get vaccinated after those who have been prioritized have been vaccinated.
• Phase 1C: This phase includes the remainder of essential workers, adults 65-74, and persons aged 16-64 that have a diagnosed medical condition, which according to the CDC, will create an increased risk for severe illness from the virus.
• Phase 2: This phase will include the general public. How quickly the county reaches this
  phase will be determined by supply and demand for the vaccine, officials said.

To view vaccination appointment availability, residents are asked to visit the Sussex County Website at this link. After making an appointment, residents are asked to bring a copy of the completed consent form to the vaccination site.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.