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New Jersey Allows 2 Million Smokers Across The State To Line Up For COVID-19 Vaccine As Part Of Significant Expansion Of The State’s Immunization Program That Seeks To Immunize 70% Of The Population Of ‘here June.
People aged 65 or older and people aged 16 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions like cancer, diabetes or obesity are also eligible to receive the vaccine, Gov. Phil Murphy announced more early this week.
But the decision to include smokers has raised eyebrows as essential worker groups such as teachers and public transport workers remain ineligible.
“I understand, I understand the optics here, and attacking people who have taken up the habit of smoking and are now addicted may be politically expedient,” Murphy said at a briefing in Trenton on Friday, citing the need to save as many. lives as much as possible. “But at the moment, we are stuck in a position where we have to prioritize limited doses distributed by the federal government based on medical facts and not political desire.”
Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist at Montclair State University, said smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that can enter a person’s lungs, which puts them at greater risk of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. coronavirus. The addictive habit was one of the first risk factors for severe COVID-19 identified by public health researchers in China after the pandemic flourished in early 2020.
“If we want to reduce the number of people who are hospitalized because it’s better for the community, well because it’s better for your health, then including smokers in this category actually makes a lot of sense,” Silvera said. According to his expert opinion, smokers should not be stigmatized; they cover all ages and all professions, including teachers. She added that smoking rates are higher among men, people with low incomes and the uninsured – all groups that experience the worst health problems with COVID-19.
“By taking a moral stand on who deserves to be vaccinated, based on the decision we make in our life, if we start using that as a measure to determine who deserves to be vaccinated, we are starting to go down a road. very dangerous, ”she said. .
Still, some officials are reluctant to prioritize smokers, given the state’s limited vaccine supply. New Jersey has administered more than 310,000 doses, according to its dashboard. That’s just under half of the offer the state received, according to the CDC. Before the state opens doors for older and more medically vulnerable populations on Thursday, healthcare workers, police and firefighters, as well as those housed in long-term care facilities and prisons were eligible for shooting. It is still unclear whether vaping qualifies as smoking under the new expansion.
“Other states, like New York, have put educators first, and since the administration often follows them closely, why don’t we do it here?” MK Serena DiMaso, a Republican representing Monmouth, said in a statement.
For now, New Jersey health officials do not require proof of medical documentation for the list of eligible health conditions and rely on an honor system at more than 160 vaccination sites. All sites require an appointment.
But with more than 4 million eligible people and New Jersey receiving only about 100,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna per week, the biggest problem remains the lack of supply. Many venues ran out of appointments hours after Murphy broadened the pool of people eligible for the shot.
“The reality is that the system isn’t even in a place where it can be played at this point,” said Shawna Hudson, professor of family medicine and community health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Anyone who lives, works, or studies in New Jersey can get a vaccine when they are deemed eligible and can register on the state’s website here.
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