All Camden County Adults Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Camden County Health Hub is now offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to everyone, regardless of health conditions, county officials announced on Tuesday.

The health hub, located at Camden County College, offers boosters for all three COVID-19 vaccines and operates from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

All boosters, including Moderna, Pfizer and J&J, will be offered onsite for free during the hours of operation by appointment only. The Health Hub will be closed this Thursday for Thanksgiving.

“This announcement comes at a critical time and is another positive stride in getting our community closer to a post pandemic world,” Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “By giving the general public access to booster shots, regardless of health qualifiers, will add another layer of protection and will ease some anxieties as the world continues opening back up and as the holiday season is upon us. This development is an exciting step towards a brighter future when it comes to this virus, and I encourage all fully vaccinated adults to go get their booster shots.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded booster eligibility to everyone 18 and older for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. A booster dose or Pfizer or Moderna should be at least six months after the second dose. All booster doses are free.

Previously, Pfizer and Moderna boosters were recommended for anyone 65 and older, adults living in long-term care facilities, adults with underlying health conditions, or adults at higher risk for COVID-19 exposure due to their work setting.

Booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine were already recommended for all adults at least two months after the initial dose.

Boosters are not currently recommended for anyone under 18. Children ages 5 and up are eligible for the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna and J&J vaccines are limited to adults 18 and older.

The CDC recommended the boosters after scientific evaluation of safety data, vaccine effectiveness and the current state of the pandemic.

"Booster shots have demonstrated the ability to safely increase people's protection against infection and severe outcomes and are an important public health tool to strengthen our defenses against the virus as we enter the winter holidays," stated CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. "Based on the compelling evidence, all adults over 18 should now have equitable access to a COVID-19 booster dose."

With a change in the weather and residents going indoors, daily cases continue to rise steadily, those who are fully vaccinated have a much lower chance of having adverse side effects from the virus.

“We have science on our side,” Cappelli said. “We know that the best tool against severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths are the vaccines and now that everyone can get a booster, it will add even more protection for a longer time.”

As of Tuesday, there have been 61,913 coronavirus cases and 1,354 coronavirus-related deaths in Camden County since the pandemic began in March 2020.

As of Tuesday, 431,565 Camden County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 318,622 are fully vaccinated and 71,909 have received a third dose.

Camden County residents can make an appointment for their first or second dose or their booster shot at the Camden County Health Hub by visiting www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com.

The Camden County Health Department is continuing to closely track new cases of COVID-19 and information regarding the prevalence of the Delta variant. New cases are often reassigned to other municipalities over the course of an investigation.

More information regarding vaccination rates throughout the county and available on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard at covid19.nj.gov.