Updated Information As Monmouth Co. COVID Vaccine Sites Announced

MONMOUTH COUNTY – Updated information has been released since the Monmouth County Health Department recently vaccinated 204 eligible individuals for COVID-19 by appointment at its Freehold headquarters, Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone announced Wednesday. Vaccine sites have been announced.

The state has also released the list that shows, in order, when everybody in New Jersey can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here's what you should know. Read more: When Can You Get COVID-19 Vaccine In NJ? Here's The New 2021 List

Here are the vaccine sites:

The county has received 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to date. There is “no guarantee of future deliverers at this time,” according to a news release, and MCHD will contact individuals and groups to confirm their appointment as soon as more vaccines become available. Vaccination is strictly by appointment only.

4: 45 p.m. UPDATE on Thursday: The Monmouth County Health Department has reached capacity for the 1A category of the COVID-19 vaccine and is no longer able to accept additional information forms at this time. MCHD will notify groups who fall under the 1A category as more vaccine becomes available.

In accordance with New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, the vaccine will be first distributed to the 1A group, approximately 650,000 healthcare workers throughout the state who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. While specific dates for phases to begin and end are not yet known, an array of factors such as vaccine supply, public confidence and federal guidance will inform decisions.

Additional points of distribution locations will be announced early next week, Arnone confirmed to Patch.

Arnone added that the county health department has not been vaccinating workers from Monmouth County hospitals. Area hospitals are conducting separate vaccination efforts. Related: Monmouth Co. Hospital Vaccinates First Employees Against COVID-19

According to the state, the federal government and Pfizer and BioNTech have agreed to provide an additional 100 million doses of the COVID19 vaccine to the country, bringing the total number of U.S. doses to be delivered to 200 million by the end of July. The goal in New Jersey is to have the vaccine reach a majority - 70 percent, or about 4.7 million - of the population by spring 2021.

If New Jersey can reach its goal, the state should reach herd immunity – or "community protection" that effectively "shuts out the virus" from the state's population and stops community spread, according to NJ Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. Read more: Here's When NJ May Be 'Back To Normal' – And You'll Be COVID-Free

An online portal linked to the New Jersey immunization registry will soon be made available for Monmouth County residents to schedule and track vaccination information for recipients
As the portal is currently being completed by the state Department of Health and therefore unavailable for the 1A category to use, the Monmouth County Health Department has created an information form for individuals and groups within 1A to complete and send to health@co.monmouth.nj.us.

Once the portal is available, you can still only sign up in the order mandated by the state: 1A is reserved for healthcare workers and long-term care residents and 1B is front-line essential workers and people 75 and older. 1C is people ages 65-74, those 18-64 with high-risk conditions and all other essential workers. The last group of people to get the vaccine will be all other American adults older than 18; they will likely not get the vaccine until late spring or summer. Children will not be getting the vaccine.

The groups who fall under the 1A category include healthcare personnel in hospitals, long term care facilities, dental office workers, correctional facility employees, pharmacy workers and EMS personnel.

Read more:

• Here's Who May Get COVID-19 Vaccine Next, And Where, In NJ
• No COVID-19 Vaccine For NJ Gov. Phil Murphy — For Now
• No Nursing Home COVID-19 Vaccines On Monday; NJ Missed Deadline
• Gov. Murphy: NJ May Get First Coronavirus Vaccines By Christmas
• Gov. Murphy: NJ Got Short Shrift On COVID Vaccine; Feds Apologize