NJ ‘Ready To Provide’ Additional Doses Of Moderna, J&J Vaccines

NEW JERSEY — The online system that allows New Jersey residents to schedule appointments to get a COVID-19 shot is now taking appointments to get booster shots, as state officials say they are ready for additional doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots from the federal government.

Residents who are eligible for a booster shot of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine can now make an appointment through the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System (NJVSS), Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during a news conference on Monday.

Residents provide their name, email, phone number and birthday, and then receive an email directing them on how to schedule an appointment to get the booster, Persichilli said. Residents can use the site to schedule their boosters even if they didn't use the system to schedule their initial doses.

Currently, only Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for booster shots, but a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee recommended emergency use authorization some Moderna recipients who received their second dose at least six months ago, and all Johnson & Johnson recipients who received their dose at least two months ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) advisory committee for immunizations will meet to discuss this recommendation on Wednesday and Thursday.

If recommended, the booster shots would be administered using the same criteria approved for the Pfizer booster, including those who are:

• Ages 65+ and Long-Term Care Residents: People who are 65 years and older or who live in long-term care settings;
• Ages 50+ With High-Risk Health Conditions: People who are ages 50-64 with underlying medical conditions;
• Ages 18+ With High-Risk Health Conditions: People who are ages 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions (listed below); and
• Ages 18+ in Jobs or Settings With Increased COVID-19 Risk: People who are ages 18-64 years who are at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of where they work or reside (examples below), may get a Pfizer booster, at least six months after their second Pfizer shot, and should consider their individual risks and benefits.

Those who are eligible now should schedule their booster appointments, before more people become eligible for booster shots, Persichilli said. The New Jersey Department of Health also now has a pop-up on their homepage that informs people when they become eligible for a booster based on the date of their last shot, provided they meet the other criteria to receive a booster.

"For example, today it says if you completed your second dose of Pfizer on or before April 18, 2021, you are now likely eligible for a booster dose," Persichilli said. "More than 1.1 million residents who received Pfizer through the end of March are already eligible to receive their booster dose."

The comments come as state officials continue to urge residents to get vaccinated, even after Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State and Joint Chiefs chairman, died of complications of COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.

"It shows that people need to get vaccinated because you can't protect every single person who gets the vaccine," State Medical Examiner Dr. Edward Lifshitz said. "The vaccine is not perfect. It's extremely good. The best way to protect those who are most vulnerable is to prevent the virus from getting to them in the first place, and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated."

It remains unclear how effective the boosters are, or how long the booster shots are effective, Lifshitz said.

Those with the following underlying medical conditions are advised to get a booster:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension
• Dementia or other neurological conditions
• Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension)
• HIV infection
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)
• Liver disease
• Overweight and obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Smoking, current or former
• Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain
• Substance use disorders (such as alcohol, opioid, and cocaine use disorders)

Adults at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of where they work or reside may get a booster shot, including:

• Corrections workers
• Education staff, including teachers, support staff, and daycare workers
• First responders, including firefighters and police
• Food and agriculture workers
• Grocery store workers
• Healthcare workers and congregate care staff
• Manufacturing workers
• Public transit workers
• U.S. Postal Service workers

As of Monday, nearly 6 million New Jersey residents have been fully vaccinated, and 326,526 residents have received a booster shot.