New Brunswick Launches Traveling COVID Vaccine Van

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — To further encourage even more people to be vaccinated, Middlesex County launched a traveling vaccine van on Monday, May 24.

The vaccine van will give out the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and it will be traveling around New Brunswick this week.

The van will be parked in front of the Tavern on George from 2-5 p.m. Monday (361 George Street, New Brunswick). It will then be in front of the New Brunswick Youth Sports Complex on Wednesday, May 26 (419 Joyce Kilmer Avenue) from 10 a.m. to noon.

On both days, the van will give out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Anyone 18 and older can get the shot; however, this is not the shot that has been approved for teens and those 12 and up.

New Brunswick appears to be the first town in New Jersey to have the traveling vaccine vans, an idea Gov. Phil Murphy has long touted as a way to end the virus. But there was a bit of a delay launching the vans, mostly due to availability of the vaccine earlier this winter and spring, NJ Spotlight reported.

"Using things like the mobile vans at our disposal hopefully sooner than later that can go deep into urban communities, especially, that have been harder to reach," said Gov. Murphy earlier this spring.

As of Monday, just over 4 million New Jersey adults have been vaccinated. Gov. Murphy said his goal is to have 4.7 million fully vaccinated by June 30. As of 6 a.m. on May 23, 39 percent of the U.S. population has been vaccinated, according to the CDC's data. The total U.S. population includes children under 12, who are not eligible to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

Anyone 18 years or older who lives, works, or studies in Middlesex County is eligible to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through the van, regardless of immigration or insurance status. It is FREE, no I.D. is required, and it’s strictly confidential.

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