Holdup on COVID vaccine is short supply

By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff

Cape May County residents should go to the county’s website to learn how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine. Although this county  is the leader in the state for vaccinations based on population, the main reason for any delays in getting vaccinations is that the demand is far outstripping the supply, a fact noted in neighboring Atlantic County and statewide.

The website is capemaycountynj.gov. Many of the links on the site will take residents to the state website, covid19.nj.gov. The state’s vaccination site is covid19.nj.gov/vaccine.

The county site has links explaining how to register for the vaccine; where, how and when to get vaccinated; COVID-19 testing locations; COVID-19 vaccine locations for eligible recipients; who is eligible to get the vaccine in New Jersey; and to see the county’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The dashboard tells residents the daily counts for active and new cases of COVID-19 by community, along with deaths, and tracks cases back to the start of the pandemic. It includes data by category.

Last week, the Cape May County Department of Health announced that the county’s vaccination program was the fastest among counties in New Jersey based on the population.

As of Friday, the state Department of Health said just more than 5,000 doses of the vaccine had been administered in the county.

On Thursday, Jan. 14, a study showed the county had administered 4,251 vaccines per 100,000 individuals, a rate higher than any other county, and had administered more second doses (704) per 100,000 residents. The closest in first doses was Morris County, which had 3,911. Atlantic County had the second-best rate for second doses with 585.

Atlantic County

Atlantic County has not been able to keep up with the high demand for vaccines.

By Sunday, it reported  that all the vaccination clinics scheduled for Jan. 19-21, administered by the Atlantic County Division of Public Health, were filled.

In Atlantic County, the site to make appointments for both COVID-19 testing and for vaccinations is atlantic-county.org, which has links for registration.

“The state estimates there are now more than 4 million people in New Jersey eligible to receive the vaccine, but the state is only receiving 100,000 doses a week,” County Executive Dennis Levinson said in the Sunday release. “When people hear they are now eligible, they may not understand that is no guarantee of an immediate inoculation.”

Gov. Phil Murphy has stated there is a supply and demand problem and that it could take six to eight weeks for individuals to receive their initial shots. He has urged patience, according to the release.

“Our phones have been ringing off the hook with people looking for appointments, not only through the county but elsewhere. They are frustrated that no matter where they look there is nothing available,” Levinson said, “but we can only provide vaccinations if we have the supply to do so.”

Who is eligible

As of Jan. 14, according to the state, individuals 65 years of age and older are now able to get the vaccine, as are individuals ages 16 to 64 with certain medical conditions as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that increase the risk of illness from the virus.

Conditions include: 

• Cancer

• Chronic kidney disease

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

• Down Syndrome

• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies

• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)

• Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)

• Sickle cell disease

• Smoking

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Also eligible are paid and unpaid health care workers, residents and staffs of long-term and congregate care facilities, along with first responders including law enforcement and fire professionals.

The state says all New Jerseyans can pre-register for the vaccine even if not eligible right now, and to find vaccination sites near them.

To preregister, go online to covid19.nj.gov/vaccine.

Eligible next for vaccines (Phase 1B) are additional frontline essential workers; (Phase 1C) other essential workers; then (Phase 2) general population.