COVID-19 Vaccine Site At Moorestown Mall To Close Friday

MOORESTOWN, NJ — When New Jersey’s COVID-19 Vaccination mega-site at the Moorestown Mall closes on Friday, it will be the last of the state’s six mega-sites to shut its doors, as the focus on vaccinating residents shifts to a more local approach.

It will also do so after administering more than 390,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to officials. Altogether, the state’s mega-sites helped New Jersey vaccinate 70 percent of its adult population against the coronavirus.

“All six mega-sites in New Jersey are transitioning because they have achieved their goal of vaccinating large numbers of people in a safe, efficient manner,” Virtua Health Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Reg Blaber said. “The work to vaccinate all eligible individuals continues, but now on a more localized level.”

The once hard-to-come-by vaccine is now available at more than 20 places within five miles of the soon-to-be closed mega-site at the former Lord & Taylor store in the Moorestown Mall alone, according to the State of New Jersey’s COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Finder.

“We’ve come a long way since the pandemic started and the mega-site was a major contributor to the progress we have made against COVID-19,” Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, liaison to the County Health Department, said. “We want to celebrate that success and thank the many dedicated health care workers, National Guard members, and volunteers who were so instrumental to the mega-site’s achievements.”

Workers who manned the Mega-Site will be treated to an on-site luncheon featuring greetings from elected officials, a raffle, prizes, balloons, music, and selfie stations for photos among friends, he said.

“At the same time, we know there are significant numbers of people who are still not vaccinated, so we want to remind them that vaccine remains available and that getting the shot offers the best possible protection, not only for yourself, but also your loved ones and others around you,” O’Connell said.

Although Virtua's five hospitals are caring for far fewer coronavirus patients now than they have in the past, many people are still acquiring COVID-19 and becoming critically ill, officials said.
The spread is spurred, in part, by the delta variant, which is more contagious than other strains, according to officials. It is rapidly impacting unvaccinated residents.

“If we want to save more lives – as well as continue easing restrictions and fully reopen schools and offices in the fall – everyone who can be vaccinated must do their part and get the vaccine this summer,” Blaber said. Please don't delay.”

The Burlington County Health Department continues to administer vaccine four days a week at rotating sites. The clinics run on the following schedule:

• Mondays, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center, 53 Academy Drive, Westampton (drive-thru clinic);
• Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Palmyra Community Center, 30 West Broad, Palmyra;
• Wednesdays, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Weimann Building, 400 Delanco Road, Edgewater Park;
• Thursdays, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bordentown Township Senior Center, 3 Municipal Drive, Bordentown.

Appointments for the clinics can be made online using the online registry at covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder or by calling 1-855-568-0545. Walk-ins without appointments are also welcome.

All four clinics will offer both the Moderna vaccine and single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Those who receive the Moderna vaccine will be informed of their second-dose date. New Jersey is among the top 10 states in terms of vaccine participation among its population.

The New Jersey Department of Health website reports more than 10.2 million total vaccine doses have been administered in the state since vaccines first became available in December 2020.

The Burlington County Mega-Site has operated as a partnership among the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Health, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, Community Emergency Response Team, Medical Reserve Corps, the New Jersey National Guard, FEMA, Burlington County, and Virtua Health.

Virtua provided the following statistics about the mega-site ahead of its closing:

• The 390,000-plus vaccine doses administered at the mega-site equates to about 195,000 fully vaccinated people. That is roughly the equivalent of the entire population of many U.S. cities, such as Salt Lake City, Utah; Akron, Ohio; or Little Rock, Arkansas.
• At its peak, the mega-site administered just under 6,000 vaccine doses per day.
• At its peak, the mega-site had 53 vaccinators working at one time, and about 110 staff members per shift.
• Approximately 2,500 individuals received their vaccination in the sensory room at the mega-site. This private area helped to alleviate the anxiety and stress that many people with special needs experience in crowded, loud areas.
• When the mega-site closes on July 23, it will have been open for 165 days total.
From January through today, Virtua’s Vaccine Hotline at its Access Center has answered more than 319,000 calls.