First COVID-19 Vaccines In NJ: Here's Who Will Get It Next

NEWARK, NJ — Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the health care workers at University Hospital in Newark have battled, cheered and wept alongside their patients. And perhaps it’s only fitting that the first COVID-19 vaccination in the Garden State was given in one of its hardest-hit cities.

On Tuesday morning, officials gave out the state’s first round of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech to health care workers at University Hospital. You can watch it live below.

They were at the front of a long line that includes a large assortment of frontline workers and the people who work with them – as well as people you may not expect (see list below).

The shots were given at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, which is located next to the University Hospital campus.

Gov. Phil Murphy was among the officials and health care workers present at what he called a “momentous” landmark in the state’s battle against the virus.

“This is a day that we have been waiting nearly a year for, and while we know this isn’t the end, we are witnessing, at the least, a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel,” Murphy said.

“Without question, we are still in for several hard months and we are going to face stiff headwinds from this second wave, but now our heroic frontline health care workers can begin to take care of their fellow New Jerseyans with a higher degree of confidence in their own protection,” the governor added.

At University Hospital, an emergency room nurse, Maritza Beniquez, was the first person to roll up her sleeve and get the vaccination. Dressed in blue scrubs and a face mask, Beniquez answered a round of questions about her health from her colleague prior to getting the shot.

An almost rhetorical question – “Have you had any exposure to COVID in the community in the past 14 days?” – got a big smile from the frontline nurse.

“Every day in that emergency room … yeah.”

Beniquez said that her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic has been similar to the trials that so many of her peers have been enduring. READ MORE: Meet 5 Newark Hospital Workers Who Got Historic Vaccinations

“During the first wave, we faced an unprecedented volume of critically ill patients from all walks of life and adult populations,” Beniquez recalled.

The nurse pointed out that as a woman of color – who is three times more likely to suffer the catastrophic effects of the disease – she stands in solidarity with her community.

“Although I’m living proof that PPE functions and has kept me safe while at work, I’m honored to be the first person in New Jersey to receive this vaccine, which will limit the possibility of me contracting this disease and unknowingly transmitting it to others.”

You can watch the historic event here:

Watch Murphy and other officials make remarks afterward here:

The federal government has allocated 76,050 first doses to New Jersey for the first tranche of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which began arriving at acute care hospitals Monday morning.

The staff at University Hospital have been preparing for the vaccine’s arrival over the past days, setting up the clinic according to state and federal guidelines. It will eventually have the capacity to give 600 shots per day.

Newark, the state’s most populated city, has seen 18,843 cumulative COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, with 735 deaths linked to the disease. The city has 282,011 residents, according to the most recent estimate from the US Census.

• READ MORE: Here's Who Is Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine First In New Jersey
• READ MORE: Coronavirus Vaccine Gets Emergency Use Authorization By FDA

Essentially, anyone who works in the healthcare field – or even tangentially connected, such as mortuary workers – in New Jersey qualifies to receive a vaccine in the first round, state Health Commissioner Judy Perischelli said.

"The category to receive it in phase one is very broad," said Perischelli, speaking at the governor's daily press conferences. "It includes any worker who serves in a health care setting."

Persichilli said the fact that a vaccine is available in the same year the pandemic began is a huge scientific achievement. Its arrival will help “contain this virus and save lives,” she added.

Six acute care hospitals across the state— AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Cooper University Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, Morristown Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and University Hospital— are receiving doses this week of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Read more: Coronavirus Vaccines Coming To NJ On Tuesday: Here's When, Where

By the end of the week, vaccines should be available at an additional 47 acute care hospitals that can manage the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires ultra-cold chain storage. While acute care hospitals will be the only points of dispensing during the first week of vaccine availability, the network will expand to additional sites like federally qualified health centers, local health departments, county sites, urgent care clinics, and pharmacies in December, pending vaccine availability, the governor's office said.

The list of those at the front of the line includes any licensed healthcare worker in the state of New Jersey, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physical therapists and occupational therapists, as well as anyone on their staff, such as receptionists, she said.

Also eligible are environmental service workers, lab technicians, mortuary service workers, consultants or contractors who deal with medical services but may not work in an actual medical office, community health workers such as midwives and doulas and also paramedics, EMTs and first-aid responders.

The list goes on:

• Funeral care and autopsy workers
• Unpaid workers like students who are studying in hospitals
• Those who work in psychiatric hospitals
• Rehabilitation staff
• Dialysis center workers
• Those who work at family planning sites
• Those who work at group homes and assisted-living complexes
• People who are at risk of exposure in a jail setting
• Homeless shelter workers and residents
• Visiting nurses, nurses who work at assisted living homes
• Hospice facility staff
• Medical marijuana facilities

The first phase of distribution will also include long-term care residents, who are adults who live in facilities that provide a range of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently. Long-term care facilities will be served on-site through a pharmacy partnership supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Pfizer/BioNTech partnership isn't the only vaccine on the horizon. A vaccine from Moderna is right around the corner, with approval expected to come from the Food & Drug Administration this week. Eighteen acute care hospitals will have that vaccine, likely by the beginning of next week. The Moderna vaccine does not need to be kept at such a cold temperature as the Pfizer vaccine: The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius; Moderna at -20 degrees Celsius.

"Our hope is as [patients] receive their second dose, a new tranche will receive their first," said Murphy, speaking Monday.

He emphasized what a historic day Tuesday is in the history of the Garden State.

However, "it's not the end," he said.

"These numbers will not magically return to zero because we are giving our first round of vaccinations," the governor said. "We are in for several hard months, especially the next six to eight weeks. As vaccinations move forward, we will face stiff headwinds."

New Jersey officials and hospital administrators have repeatedly said it will be crucial to gain confidence from the public when it comes to getting vaccinated. But that won’t be easy, with as many as two of five residents saying they won’t be taking it in a recent poll.

• See related article: 2 In 5 NJ Residents Say They Won't Take Coronavirus Vaccine

Shereef Elnahal, president and CEO of University Hospital, said that if health care workers embrace the vaccine, it will help to convince New Jersey residents to also vaccinate.

“Our health care heroes have been, and continue to be, trusted voices for health care in our community, and we hope that they will carry the message that these vaccines are safe and effective,” Elnahal said. “Widespread vaccination is the most effective step to helping life return to a new normal, and we applaud those members of our workforce for being the first to roll up their sleeves.”

This article contains reporting from Tom Davis

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