Here's The Estimated COVID-19 Vaccine Wait Time In Bergen County

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — With the United Kingdom approving a COVID-19 vaccine for use this week and the Garden State preparing for a rollout as soon as Christmas, the New York Times, the Surgo Foundation and Ariadne Labs have come up with a way to calculate the number of people who will need a vaccine in each state and county — and where Bergen County residents might fit in that line.

For example, an average 40-year-old Bergen County resident with no professional or health-related special circumstances would be in line behind 268.7 million people across the United States, according to the study.

In New Jersey, the projection would be behind 7 million others who are at higher risk, in a state with a population of nearly 9 million. In Bergen County, 692,100 would be ahead of you in a county with approximately 932,000 residents.

But those caveats make a difference.

The same person with higher risk health conditions have a ticket around 615,000 in New Jersey and 71,000 in Bergen County. A healthy first responder would be at 574,300 on the line on the state level and 67,000 in Bergen County.

You can input your specific information on the Times website.

Vaccine Rollout

No matter what place in line you end up in, New Jersey has been preparing to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine for months.

Here in the Garden State, where a second wave of infections has seen daily positive cases escalate to the highest levels since March and April, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli's task force has been preparing for the "equitable" distribution of an approved vaccine for months.

"We will be ready," Gov. Phil Murphy said, noting in October that the planning for a vaccine distribution began back in March.

Persichilli said the first phase of the vaccinations are expected to be limited to healthcare workers.
The plan, as it currently stands, has several strategic aims:

• Vaccinate 70 percent of the adult population within 6 months
• Provide equitable access to a vaccine
• Achieve maximum community protection
• Build public trust

The overall goal in New Jersey is to vaccinate 4.7 million people, with health care workers being first. That would equate to somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 people a day.

Additional reporting by Russ Crespolini.

Thanks for reading! Keep up to date with what’s happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.

Have a news tip or press release you’d like to submit? Need to request a correction? Email montana.samuels@patch.com.