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New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday defended the state’s coronavirus vaccine eligibility requirements, telling CNBC there was a need to prioritize people with pre-existing medical conditions, including including smokers.
In an interview with “Squawk Box,” Murphy explained that the state is focused on using its available vaccine supply on two separate groups. The first, he said, concerns those who are needed “to help beat the virus”, such as health workers and first responders. The second concerns people who are at higher risk of serious illness or death if they contract Covid, he said.
“This is not speculation. This is based on the data, on the facts. Who got sick? Who was hospitalized? Who have we lost?” Said Murphy.
In the second group are residents of New Jersey aged 65 and over, as well as those aged 16 to 64 who have a qualifying medical condition, which includes cancer, chronic kidney disease, various heart conditions and heart disease. smoking.
New Jersey teachers are not yet eligible as a whole group, but Murphy has increasingly faced pressure to allow educators and school district employees to qualify for the vaccine. Advocates believe it is important that they receive the vaccine that saves their lives so that in-person classes can be conducted more safely.
“It’s a false choice to compare smokers to someone else,” Murphy told CNBC. “Anyone under 65 who is most vulnerable, including if you are an essential worker, an educator, you are eligible now.”
New Jersey’s list of medical conditions making a person eligible for the vaccine closely follows a list of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that increases a person’s risk of developing severe cases of Covid.
The teachers as a group are “in the circle on the bridge,” Murphy said, using a baseball phrase to describe being next to the bat. “I hope we get to educators as soon as possible.”
Some states, such as Maryland, Illinois and Arizona, have extended teacher eligibility, according to EdWeek, a news organization that covers K-12 education.
New Jersey administered about 1.1 million doses of the vaccine as of Tuesday afternoon, according to data compiled by the CDC. The entire United States has administered 43.2 million doses, according to CDC data.
While Murphy expressed optimism about the Biden administration’s vaccination efforts, he said New Jersey still sees more demand for the vaccines than it currently has.
“You have a huge imbalance between supply and demand,” he said. But he added: “The Biden team is doing an amazing job and I have no doubts that they will provide the supply. It will not be overnight, but we will.”
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