North Bergen Vaccination Site Operating Updates

For the past several weeks, residents of North Bergen have been able, if they fall within the current COVID vaccination guidelines, to go to the township’s Recreation Center on Meadowview Avenue to receive their coronavirus vaccination.  The municipality is administering the Moderna vaccine.

According to North Bergen Health Officer Janet Castro, approximately 200 vaccinations are being administered per day to North Bergen residents.  She says that total could change at any time, however, since the township has a 400 vaccination dosage on hand.

For township residents wanting to schedule an appointment to get a COVID vaccine, they need to contact the North Bergen Health Department at 201-392-2084.  Castro says the township is currently working on a scheduling portal, as it anticipates additional doses being made available to the municipality.  She anticipates the portal will be operational in about a week.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco says on the first day the vaccines were available at the Recreation Center, nine people who had scheduled appointments did not show up.  Last week, only three people did not show up for their appointment.  So officials say they are pleased how smoothly the vaccination process is going.  In fact, Castro says the township currently could double its capacity if the vaccines were made available to them.

Right now the township has a large waiting list, so the demand is certainly there.  On January 24, the township began administering the second dosage to residents, as the COVID vaccine, whether Moderna or Pfizer, requires two shots three or four weeks apart.  So of the 200 vaccines being given each day, 100 are first doses and 100 are second doses.

The Mayor says early on, people were afraid to get the vaccine, but that hesitation has worn off as they see family and friends not having negative reactions to the shot.

At the moment the state guidelines say anyone 65 and over, or 64 and younger with underlying health conditions may register to get a vaccination.  There is no word from the state at this time as to when the vaccine will become available to everyone else who wants it, although Castro believes it will not be until the spring or early summer months.