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Morris County is closing its regional immunization center this weekend due to a lack of vaccine supply.
No appointment at the Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center had been scheduled for Saturday and Sunday as local health officials scheduled the outage, according to a press release from the county government on Thursday .
Morris County operates the Regional Immunization Center, located inside a former Sears department store at Rockaway Townsquare Mall, in conjunction with Atlantic Health System. It is one of the state’s six vaccine megasites.
Governor Phil Murphy was present when it opened on January 8.
Murphy announced Thursday that New Jersey was going to take more doses than expected over the next three weeks, but acknowledged that the statewide appointment request easily exceeds available supplies.
As of Thursday, the center administered more than 10,000 combined doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, according to Morris County.
The center is expected to resume full activities on Monday.
The announcement of the weekend shutdown in Morris County came a day after the county acknowledged local and state frustrations over schedule shortages.
“We want to make it clear that everyone here in Morris County fully understands the frustration people experience with not being able to get immunization appointments,” Commissioner Douglas Cabana said Wednesday.
“No one may feel better, but this problem is universal in New Jersey and other states, despite what some people may see on social media. The problem is that there is a very high demand for vaccines, but a very limited supply, ”Cabana said.
Officials will spend the weekend expanding the center, hoping to be able to offer a higher rate of vaccines in the near future, the statement said.
Murphy said Thursday that New Jersey would receive about 130,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine per week, for the next three weeks – about 30,000 per week more than originally planned.
The state’s ambitious goal is to vaccinate 70% of New Jersey’s eligible population – roughly 4.7 million people – by the end of May.
In New Jersey, the following groups are eligible for the vaccine: healthcare workers, including those who work in pharmacies; residents and staff of long-term care facilities, including those in prisons and psychiatric hospitals; first responders; people aged 65 and over; people aged 16 to 64 with serious health problems; and smokers.
New Jersey has launched a hotline – 855-568-0545 – to schedule vaccinations.
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Rob Jennings can be reached at [email protected].
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