Woodbridge Opens Its Own Coronavirus Vaccine Center

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — As he reported a devastating New Year's weekend of skyrocketing coronavirus cases, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac also announced the town's coronavirus vaccine center quietly opened last week. The town is now giving vaccine injections at the Woodbridge Health Center, located next to the library.

The town vaccine center opened last Tuesday, Dec. 29: Woodbridge vaccinated nearly 100 people on Tuesday and another 100 on Wednesday, and will continue vaccinations this week.

Woodbridge Twp. received 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and expects another 500 doses early this week, said McCormac on Monday, Jan. 4.

It was the state Dept. of Health that reached out to the Woodbridge Township Health Department to see if Woodbridge would give out the vaccine. Woodbridge is only permitted to offer the vaccine to healthcare workers who live or work in Woodbridge Twp. The state Dept. of Health supplied Woodbridge with the Moderna vaccine, which does not require sub-zero storage.

If you are a Woodbridge resident who works in healthcare, you can make an appointment to get the vaccine by calling 732.855.0600 extension 5004. You must have proper identification and proof of your employment. Right now, the state is only vaccinating people in category 1A, which is healthcare workers and those who live in nursing homes/long-term care. However, that list of healthcare workers is much broader than many realize, and includes home health aides, those who work in jails and prisons and even those who work at medical marijuana sites, as the state of New Jersey qualifies them as healthcare workers.

New Jersey's vaccine portal is also now live; you can register here to get the vaccine: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/v...

McCormac also had some somber news to report: From Dec. 28 through Jan. 3, Woodbridge had one of its highest seven-day totals of new coronavirus cases ever, with 464 new cases.

"The counts were 58 on Monday, then 66, 78, 89 on Thursday, which is a new record for us after 87 on April 10, then 67, 55 and 51," said the mayor. "Many of these are attributable to the Christmas holidays and experts are advising to expect another large batch of cases in the next week from New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day."

Woodbridge finished December with a record case count of 1,986. Consider that for all of August, Woodbridge had a total of 105 cases.

"We had 89 in just one day last week," said McCormac.

"Unfortunately and very sadly, we have seven new deaths to report, which is terrible at this time of year," he said. "Including three males aged 74, 75 and 80 and four females aged 67, 76, 82 and 89. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers."

The county-run vaccine site at the Edison Expo Center has yet to open, even though it is supposed to open in early January.

Watch Mayor McCormac in his Jan. 4 address:

New Jersey's 2021 vaccine time frame:
Phase 1A (January)

• Healthcare workers, who are paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials
• Long-term care residents and staff.
• Non-hospital-based healthcare personnel and residents of other long-term care settings

Phase 1B (January - February)

• Frontline essential workers and individuals over 75

Phase 1C (March - April)

• Essential workers, adults 65-74, and persons aged 16-64 with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19.

Phase 2 (May – June)

• General population

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