Meadowlands Vaccine Mega-Site To Reopen Wednesday

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy told Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos Tuesday that the vaccination stoppage at Bergen County's Meadowlands mega-site was due to a lack of supply, an ongoing problem for the state.

"We need more doses," said Murphy. "The Biden administration knows that, they entered into what is I think an empty cupboard, and they're frantically, I know, obsessed with building that supply back."

Hackensack Meridian Health officials said "thousands" of doses are expected Tuesday, with more than 700 appointments scheduled for Wednesday.

No appointments were scheduled for Monday or Tuesday, officials said, noting, however, that thousands of appointments are set through the end of February.

Watch Murphy on Good Morning America here:

The Meadowlands site began vaccination efforts on Thursday and Friday of last week, administering doses in the hundreds. Officials expect the site can eventually reach 2,400 inoculations per day.

Once the state begins receiving more doses consistently, Murphy told MSNBC, educators can be vaccinated, enabling schools to open at higher rates.

"My hope is that, sooner than later, we get the supply of doses which we're desperately short of that will allow us to open up to educators, and therefore get a whole lot more of our schools open," said Murphy. (To watch the interview, click here.)

Murphy was asked by Stephanopoulos why the state has so many doses which haven't been used. He said many of those vaccines are earmarked for long-term care facilities through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership.

Leaders of the program are "literally putting aside doses in advance of visits to nursing homes and extended living and other communal settings," said Murphy. Those doses are expected to be administered within the next two weeks, he added.

His comments lacked the criticism he'd previously used when referencing the partnership, specifically Walgreens, who've been "punching under their weight," he said.

Murphy said state officials are using all doses they have at their disposal and are "putting as many shots in the arms as possible."

Still, the timetable to reach 70 percent of people vaccinated has been delayed due to a lack of supply. To reach that goal, Murphy said, the state would need at least two to three times as many vaccine doses.

"I'm confident we'll get there. It's not going to be as early as we had hoped, but I'm confident we're going to get there," he said.