Murphy Sets Timetable for NJ Teachers to Get COVID Vaccine
Gov. Phil Murphy started the week by making an announcement many in New Jersey thought was overdue. New Jersey teachers, child care and transportation workers will be eligible starting March 15 for the coronavirus vaccine.
The governor, appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” said it’s “an imperative” to have those people vaccinated. He followed up with a tweet that expanded that group to "additional public safety workers". The governor has his covid-19 briefing today at 1pm.
“We’re phasing it in over a couple of weeks because we already have a supply-demand imbalance,” the governor said, adding that other essential workers are expected to be added to the eligibility list by the end of March.
The expanded group includes “pre-K to 12 educators & support staff,” according to Murphy’s Tweet.
The state has administered nearly 2 million doses as of Saturday, including 1,295,891 first doses and 663,855 second doses, according to state data.
It has been a bone of contention with many that New Jersey had opened up coronavirus vaccine distribution to those who have at least one chronic medical condition, which the state said includes smoking and obesity, but teachers and other essential workers who do not fall into this category have had to wait.
Source: MSNBC
LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.