NJ Residents Who Receive COVID Vaccine Will Be Put In Registry

NEW JERSEY - Those who choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccination will be automatically enrolled in the New Jersey Immunization Information System, thanks to an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

In preparation for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the Garden State, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 207, which automatically enrolls residents who choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccine into the state’s existing vaccine registry.

“As we continue to prepare for the first tranche of vaccines in New Jersey, we are exploring every avenue to maximize efficacy and efficiency,” said Murphy. “We’re taking this step today to ensure that New Jerseyans who choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccine get the most effective course, on the proper timetable, without logistical or bureaucratic hurdles in the way.”

Murphy’s Executive Order changes inclusion into the New Jersey Immunization Information System from an opt-in to an opt-out program for residents who elect to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

That group of residents will be automatically enrolled into the system, and will then be permitted to opt-out of the registry 30 days after the public health emergency expires.

Currently, all individuals born on or after Jan. 1, 1998 are automatically enrolled in the registry, unless they opt-out of the registry. Any individual born prior to Jan. 1, 1998 can elect to opt-in to the registry.

“Accurate accounting of every dose of vaccine is vital to monitoring implementation progress of New Jersey’s vaccination plan,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “The system will also allow us to ensure residents are returning for the second dose of vaccine.”

The complete executive order can be read on the website.

Vaccine Rollout

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.

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.