UPDATES:
Some users report problems with state’s new registration portal
State asks only health care workers use new registration portal due to huge volume
The state’s new website to sign up to receive a vaccine for the coronavirus has gone live.
The site allows people to pre-register even if you are not currently eligible. Currently, the state is only vaccinating healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff, classified as 1a.
The website is covid19.nj.gov/vaccine.
New Jersey has opened its website to register for the coronavirus vaccine.
“This is our central online location for official vaccine-related information and will also serve as a ‘landing page’ for our vaccine registration portal in the near future,” Gov. Phil Murphy said when he announced the portal last week.
When you visit the site, it will ask for your name, address, gender, race, phone number and birth date. Next it will ask for your insurance information. It also has an option for those who have no insurance.
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The next screen asks a series of questions, including the type of work you do and if you have any of 19 medical conditions that would put you at higher risk, including diabetes, asthma and heart conditions.
Next, it asks about pregnancy and breastfeeding, if you’ve ever tested positive for COVID-19, if you have a weakened immune system and whether you’ve had allergic reactions in the past.
After you verify the information, if you are not currently eligible, you will get a message saying you will get an email when it’s your turn to schedule an appointment.
“While we work to distribute vaccines quickly and safely, please remember to wear a mask, wash your hands regularly, and practice social distancing. For more on preventing the spread of COVID-19, visit covid19.nj.gov,” the message said.
Phase 1b includes essential workers such as police, fire and other first responders, food service workers, educators, support staff and daycare workers, public transit workers and workers who support radio, print, internet and television news and media services, according to the state’s updated 188-page vaccination plan that was released in December. Other “critical” and “essential” workers are also included in 1b, the plan said.
People ages 75 and older will also be part of Phase 1b, the Department of Health said.
Phase 1c will follow. That would include those between the ages of 16 and 64 with high-risk conditions and other adults aged 65 to 75, according to the plan. It would also include “people living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings” such as colleges and universities, migrant workers and tribal populations, who were listed by an earlier version of the plan as in the 1b category, the plan said. Again, no timetable has been announced by the state.
Through Monday, New Jersey vaccinated 101,417 people in the state, though officials said the reporting of vaccine administration may be lagging.
The state received 405,000 vaccines in December. Approximately 280,000 doses were allocated to hospitals and community sites for front-line healthcare workers, while about 120,000 doses were reserved for long-term care facilities.
The state received an additional 106,000 doses for the first week of January, according to the state’s website. Approximately half are reserved for long-term care facilities and the other half for hospitals and community sites.
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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.