NJ School Outbreaks, Latest COVID Pediatric Vaccine Data Released

NEW JERSEY — The number of new outbreaks of the coronavirus in schools across New Jersey remained steady this week as the number of children ages 5 to 11 years old who are getting vaccinated increased five-fold, according to state officials.

However, only 24 percent of New Jersey residents who are eligible to get a booster shot have done so, officials said during Monday afternoon's COVID-19 news conference.

Another 12 new COVID-19 outbreaks were reported in school districts across the Garden State over the last week. The total since the school year has begun has grown to 160. It was 11 each of the last two weeks.

The 54 new student cases brings the total number of cases among students to 735 since the school year began. That number is trending down, Gov. Phil Murphy said. There were 12 new cases among staff, bringing that total to 125.

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New Jersey also saw an increase of five cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, bringing the total number of cases to 141 since the pandemic began in March 2020. While it's the biggest increase in cases in a while, rates are still lower than they were at this time last year, State Medical Examiner Edward Lifshitz said.

"This isn't something you catch from somebody," Lifshitz said. "You catch COVID, and then it's a question of how your body reacts to that infection. It's a rare infection and unpredictable as to which child will come down with it, but you wouldn't expect it to group in families, or areas or towns."

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Anyone who sees symptoms should seek care right away.

The number of children ages 5 to 11 who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine hit 47,390 on Monday, up from 9,116 students in that age group who were vaccinated as of Nov. 8. Read more here: 9K NJ Kids Given First Dose Of COVID Vaccine So Far

"That's more than five times what it was a week ago today," Murphy said. "For parents, I would say that vaccinating your child is the surest way to return them to their normal routines. With each child who gets vaccinated and enters a classroom with an educator who was vaccinated and sits among their peers who are vaccinated, the closer we get to being able to lift the masking requirement in our schools."

Last week, Murphy said that requirement is set to expire on Jan. 11, and it may not have to be extended depending on how quickly students get vaccinated, but he didn't reiterate that point on Monday. Read more here: Murphy: K-12 Mask Mandate May Not Need To Be Extended

At the same time, only 24 percent of New Jersey residents who are eligible to get a booster shot have taken advantage of the opportunity, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. Saying confusion about who is eligible for the boosters may be the root cause of booster hesitancy, officials provided a summary of who is eligible:

• Anyone 65-and-over who got their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines six months ago, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months ago; and
• Anyone 18-and-over who has preexisting health conditions or works in an environment that increases their risk, and who received their second doses in the same time frame previously mentioned.

And if anyone has any doubt about whether they are eligible, and they were vaccinated in those time frames, they should go ahead and get a booster, Murphy said.

"We've been adherent to the CDC guidance since Moment One, but there's not much preventing us from saying just go ahead and get it," Murphy said.

"Boosters are not a bonus," Persichilli said. "They are absolutely essential to fighting the pandemic."