Politics & Government

Essex County COVID Vaccine Update: How To Get Your Shot

Now, anyone 16 and older can get a COVID vaccine in New Jersey. Here's what you need to know if you want to get a shot in Essex County.

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This article was updated on April 26

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Now that New Jersey has opened its COVID-19 eligibility to anyone over 16, some Essex County residents may have a big question: Where can I get my shot?

Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In Essex County alone, there are more than 40 places to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you qualify. Supply shortages have limited the number of people who can get a shot, however, and demand is outpacing the available doses – a nationwide issue.

Some sites in Essex County, such as a federal-backed center in Newark, use the Pfizer version, which is approved for people 16 and over. However, many other sites use the Moderna version, which is only available to people 18 and up.

Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

New Jersey recently added a "vaccine appointment finder" that can be seen here. Find out if you are eligible here.

WHERE CAN I GET VACCINATED IN ESSEX COUNTY?

Essex County is running five vaccination sites in Livingston, Newark, West Caldwell and West Orange.

Each location only serves residents of certain towns (see below). However, people who live in Newark, the state's most populated city, can go to any of the sites.

Essex County has rolled out an online schedule that allows residents to see if any appointments are available at its vaccination centers. See the website here.

LIVINGSTON

  • Where - Livingston Mall, former Sears building, 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston (Entrance is in the back).
  • Towns Served - Livingston, Belleville, Maplewood, Millburn, Newark, Orange and South Orange

NEWARK - ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE

  • Where - Essex County College, 303 University Avenue, Newark (Gym entrance on West Market Street)
  • Towns Served - Newark, East Orange and Irvington

NEWARK - DONALD PAYNE SCHOOL

  • Where - Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology, 498-544 West Market Street, Newark
  • Towns Served - Newark, East Orange and Irvington

WEST CALDWELL

  • Where - Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology, 620 Passaic Avenue, West Caldwell
  • Towns Served - West Caldwell, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Newark, North Caldwell and Roseland

WEST ORANGE

  • Where - Former Kmart building, 235 Prospect Avenue, West Orange
  • Towns Served - West Orange, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Montclair, Newark, Nutley and Verona

Here’s how it works, county officials say:

"When vaccinations are available, the sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can make appointments at www.EssexCOVID.org or by calling 973-877-8456. Appointments only can be made after the county receives the vaccines. Vaccinations will be given in two doses. Residents making reservations to receive the vaccination will receive two appointments. It is critical that residents attend both appointments. Residents will be asked to provide their medical insurance information and their insurance provider will be billed $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second dose. If a resident does not have insurance, the cost of the vaccine will be covered by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Provide Relief Fund. There will be no out-of-pocket expenses charged to residents."

Here’s what to expect, county officials say:

"Each vaccination site is set up in a similar fashion. Residents entering the site will first be pre-screened to verify they have an appointment. Those who do not have an appointment will not be allowed to receive the vaccine that day. Residents will then proceed to a registration table where they will be provided with their paperwork for their visit and receive a card to remind them about their second appointment. After being inoculated with the vaccine, residents will be required to wait 15 minutes while they are monitored for any side effects. Social distancing guidelines will be followed at every site and areas will be sanitized on a regular basis throughout the day."

New Jersey has also cleared the way for many other vaccination sites across the state, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, supermarkets, pharmacies and doctor's offices. Some are accepting appointments or have residency requirements, but others do not. People can visit COVIDvaccine.nj.gov to preregister.

In Essex County, the state's list currently includes:

Belleville

  • Clara Maass Medical Center, 1 Clara Maass Drive / rwjbh.org/covid19vaccine
  • Riverside Medical Group, 195 Cortlandt St., (973) 759-1221

Bloomfield

Cedar Grove

East Orange

Fairfield

Irvington

Livingston

Montclair

Newark

Nutley

  • Nutley Health Department Adult Clinic, 149 Chestnut Street, 973-877-8456
  • Riverside Medical Group, 228 Franklin Avenue / riversidemedgroup.com

Orange

  • Newark Community Health Center - Orange, 37 North Day Street, Floor 3, (973) 323-3669 / nchcfqhc.org/
  • E&M Pharmacy, 205 S. Essex Ave., 973-677-2800, eandmpharmacy.com

South Orange

Verona

West Caldwell

West Orange

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

New Jersey originally planned to roll out its vaccines in phases. An exact timeline wasn't made available.

On April 19, the state opened its eligibility list to anyone 16 and older who lives, works or studies in New Jersey. Vaccines are available to all residents, regardless of immigration or insurance status.

VACCINATIONS IN ESSEX COUNTY: A BRIEF BACKGROUND

The first COVID-19 vaccinations in New Jersey were given to workers at University Hospital in Newark, with cameras rolling and Gov. Murphy in attendance.

Essex County opened its five vaccination sites on Dec. 26, 2020, becoming the first county in New Jersey to do so.

Officials have been sharing photos from the five Essex County vaccination sites, which are being run by health care professionals and bolstered by volunteers, who are eligible to get a vaccination from the virus in return.

Several local health care workers, emergency responders and elected officials have reported that they got their shots.

Retirement and nursing home residents throughout the county have also been getting vaccinated.

In January, many of those who previously got their first shots received follow-up inoculations, a requirement of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

In late January, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Newark resident, said Essex County has become a "national model" for getting vaccines "out really quickly and in people's arms."

"We've created an effective plan for distribution that ensures our residents get both doses of the vaccine," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said, tipping his hat to Booker for the recognition.

Meanwhile, some towns and cities have been stepping in to help fill the gaps.

In Newark, officials are holding "rotating vaccination locations" throughout the city.

"For the past year, our city has been fighting against COVID-19 and our community now has access to the vaccine geared to help give us greater protection from the disease," Mayor Ras Baraka said.

In North Caldwell and West Caldwell, municipal officials have been reaching out to homebound residents who can't make it to one of the Essex County vaccination sites or any of the others that have been authorized by the state.

"The list will be used by our local health department to coordinate a mobile vaccination plan for all such residents," North Caldwell police stated.

In East Orange, the city's Division of Senior Services has been helping local residents register for vaccinations, offering transportation aid to those in need.

In Bloomfield, town officials partnered with the county to hold a one-day, "pop-up" vaccination site. A similar effort took place in West Orange, which has also been partnering with Montclair State University's School of Nursing to vaccinate homebound residents.

The rollout in Essex County hasn't been without its issues, however, including severe supply and demand conflicts at the county-run vaccination sites.

DiVincenzo offered an update on the process on Jan. 18. He wrote:

"We have experienced an extremely high demand from people who want the vaccine and have hit a few bumps in the road. In response, we are continuing to monitor our website, make updates as information and eligible groups change, and tweak our system to improve user experience. We are the only county in the state to have a call center to respond to questions and help those who don't have access to a computer. During these early stages, through no fault of our own, we have experienced network and equipment failure. We are working through these issues and added staff so we can respond to the thousands of calls coming in."

DiVincenzo continued:

"Unfortunately, the number of people who want the shot far exceeds the doses we have or are scheduled to receive. Because of this, appointments fill up fast and availability is limited. We ask for your patience and understanding that it may take time before everyone can make an appointment. This is not unique to Essex County -This is occurring across the country. We are in constant communication with Governor Phil Murphy and the Department of Health and have requested that more doses be sent to Essex County. While the governor and his staff have been supportive of our efforts, they are experiencing the some supply shortages as we are. The problem exists because of distribution delays by the federal government."

Some residents have begun posting about "working the system" on the county's vaccination website to get earlier appointments, earning a plea for "honesty" from DiVincenzo.

"Some zip codes have more availability because they are in some of our most vulnerable areas," he said. "We encourage residents to be honest and truthful on our website to ensure that the system remains fair for all of our residents."

Meanwhile, local officials continue to try to bolster the public's confidence in getting inoculated.

In February, Essex County Commissioner President Wayne Richardson shared a video taken at Essex County College in Newark, which serves the cities of Newark, East Orange and Irvington – three of the hardest-hit municipalities in the county when it comes to the coronavirus.

The following month, Queen Latifah, a Newark native who grew up in East Orange, returned to her old stomping grounds to get a shot. It was part of an effort to boost public confidence in vaccinations, according to local officials, who welcomed the actor, rapper and producer back with open arms.

The arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which joined the Pfizer and Moderna versions, was expected to help get more shots into arms across New Jersey, including Essex County.

On March 17, Essex County reached a big milestone, giving out its 100,000th first dose of the vaccine at its five centers.

Another encouraging update took place in West Orange the next day, when 49 Holocaust survivors received a shot via the county's mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit.

In an effort to get more school staff and teachers vaccinated, Essex County began holding special vaccination times for local public, private, charter and parochial schools in late March.

Meanwhile, vaccinations have continued for vulnerable populations, including inmates and detainees in the custody of the Essex County Department of Corrections.

Some towns have reported significant progress, including West Caldwell, where the town's mayor estimated that as many as half of its residents may be vaccinated by April. But if supply wasn't hamstringing the effort, many more shots could be given, some officials say.

Essex County and the surrounding area got a big boost when the largest vaccination site in New Jersey opened on the campus of the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The vaccination effort also got a spiritual boost when actor and activist Rosario Dawson volunteered at a site in Essex County, getting her own shot that day.

Essex County has also made other efforts to boost the spirits of those getting vaccinated, such as inviting a professional harp player to perform a set in West Caldwell.

In April, the county and other vaccination sites got thrown a curveball when federal authorities recommended a temporary pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to concerns over six rare-but-severe blood clotting cases. More than 6.8 million doses of New Brunswick-based company's vaccine have been administered in the U.S., including 235,000 doses in New Jersey.

Some Essex County institutions have started to ask for proof of vaccination as part of their admission policy, including Montclair State University, which will require most returning students to be vaccinated, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, which is asking all visitors to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Have YOU gotten a COVID-19 vaccination in Essex County? Let us know how it went — leave a comment below!

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Related:NJ COVID-19 Vaccine Information Hub

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