Jefferson Officials: Little Say In COVID Vaccinations

JEFFERSON, NJ - The calls started almost immediately after the vaccine rollout was announced. Phone calls, emails and social media messages began pouring in to municipalities, police stations and hospitals from people desperate to schedule an inoculation for themselves or a loved one.

The only problem is, they have almost nothing to do with the rollout. In fact, local municipalities and counties say, they have little say as to when and how many vaccines get distributed and administered to the residents.

"I do know that they are not coming into the county at a very fast pace, at no fault of Warren County," Hackettstown Mayor DiMaio told Patch. "As having a father who had COVID-19, I, for one, know the importance of these vaccines being expedited so that they can be distributed at a faster rate."

But even officials across Morris, Warren and Sussex all shared not only do they not have any say on when vaccines are coming, but they rarely get information on their distribution.

Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Glassner said it is extremely important for residents and business owners to get the latest information on vaccines and availability as they can and that the Governor’s office has tasked the County and the Board of Health with providing this information to the public.

"As a municipality we will continue to share through our website and alerts all the information that is being provided by those sources," she said.

Similar sentiments were shared by Mendham Township Mayor Sarah Neibart, who noted that those in her community should sign up at covidvaccine.nj.gov and atlantichealth.org.

"If you know someone who does not have access to the internet or a computer, please contact us at the Township. We have begun reaching out to and assisting senior citizens in our community and neighboring communities to make sure they get registered and have transportation to vaccination locations," she noted. "It is our goal to ensure that every Mendham Township resident has the most updated information and access to the state and county registration websites, so they can get vaccinated as soon as possible."

Chester Borough Mayor Janet Hoven acknowledged this is a difficult time as everyone is anxious to ensure that those who are the most vulnerable receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

"It is important to remember that the dissemination of the vaccine is under the authority of the State of New Jersey. County governments are working with the state to provide vaccination centers," she said. "Local mayors and Council are not involved in the vaccination program and unfortunately cannot assist our constituents in their efforts to obtain an appointment for the vaccine."

Parsippany Mayor Micheal Soriano put out a statement reminding residents that while the Dept. of Health has promised that anyone who wants to get the vaccine will be able to get it, in the immediate, we must be patient as the supply increases and distribution around the state continues.

“This is a massive health undertaking, and we need to be patient,” he said.

The same is true in Sussex County, where officials are dealing with the same public pressure.

“Officials at the county level are working tirelessly with the state to coordinate the deployment of vaccinations. These are the two entities who bear responsibility to coordinate and balance supply and demand relating to the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations,” Sparta Deputy Mayor Christine Quinn said. “During these challenging times, it's important to note that the Sussex County Department of Health and Human Services is the single point of responsibility to manage, communicate and coordinate COVID related initiatives and activities throughout Sussex County. “

Officials in Morris, Sussex and Warren reiterated that residents are encouraged to access the New Jersey Vaccination Scheduling System.

Morris County has also established a COVID Hotline for further information. This hotline can be reached at 973-829-8250. The hotline is staffed seven days each week, during business hours.

Residents in Sussex County looking for related information are encouraged to contact the Sussex County directly.

In an effort to keep Sparta residents informed throughout the pandemic, links and information are also provided via the Sparta Township website.

Warren County residents are being asked to visit to www.co.warren.nj.us and under the heading Covid-19/Coronavirus updates, click on Covid-19 Vaccines. This will take you to their sign-up page that has a lot of information on it that should help with any questions the public may have.

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.