Did you know that COVID-19 vaccines are now available at 160 locations including pharmacies, hospitals, and old store fronts? But, about 6 weeks after the first person in New Jersey got vaccinated, the state operations have been running slow because the signing up system is a bit complex. There has been a staff shortage and there are not enough vaccines to meet the demand. Let’s further discuss this problem.

New Jersey officials are saying that more doses are being needed every day and the federal government is being blamed for the vaccine shortage because some of the shipments were cut. Ever since it was announced that the vaccines are out and available for medical and LTC staff, but also for the elderly, the sign-up system did not update fast enough.  Sites didn’t recruit additional vaccinators, which caused the demand for vaccines to get even bigger. Since Murphy is aware of this supply/demand imbalance, he announced that, “What we need to end this divisive and unproductive debate is an increase in our vaccine supply, and for that, we need a federal administration that will unleash the process to meet demand,”. 

Now in the vaccine distribution news, during the first weeks of January, about 310,000 New Jersians have received at least 1 of the 2 vaccines. The process is available to health care workers, long-term care residents, firefighters and law enforcement, individuals over age 65, and people with specific pre-existing conditions, including cigarette smoking. 

  According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker, 3,600 New Jersians per 100,000 have received the shot so far. So in order for New Jersey to immunize 4.7 million or 70% of the eligible people, they need 460,000 doses a week. Hopefully, by the start of the spring, the vaccine distributions should be going smoothly and will be available to everyone in New Jersey.

In conclusion, there is a supply and demand imbalance in New Jersey and it might be fixed by Spring. The vaccine distributions are available to health care workers, long-term care residents, firefighters and law enforcement, individuals over age 65, and people with specific pre-existing conditions, including cigarette smoking. So continue to wear your mask until the vaccine is available to all residents.