Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners reminds residents who are already vaccinated against COVID-19 that they can now receive a third shot if they are in an immunosuppressed category. The approved third shot applies to those who have already received two doses of either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine. Those who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not eligible at this time.
“Union County began administering the third shot to eligible residents at 7:00 a.m. last Saturday morning, within hours of approval by state and federal agencies. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that approved vaccination regimens are applied in our community as soon as possible,” said Union County Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella.
Those eligible for a third shot include cancer patients and organ donation recipients, among others. More details are available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019.
Eligible Union County residents need to wait four weeks after their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in order to receive their third shot. Appointments for the third shot can be booked online at ucnj.org/vax. Eligible residents can also visit any vaccination site in Union County on a walk-in basis with proof of their first two shots.
For details about Union County’s vaccination clinics, as well as home vaccination services for the home bound and additional COVID-19 resources, visit ucnj.org/covid19. For additional assistance contact the Union County COVID-19 Call Center for assistance at 908-613-7829 during regular weekday business hours.
Federal health officials are also beginning to plan for booster shots to be administered to all persons who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Union County residents are reminded that those plans are still in the initial phase and are not expected to begin until September 20. At the present time, only persons in immunocompromised categories are approved for an additional dose.
The third shot is recommended only for immunocompromised people because studies show their systems may not respond adequately to the first two shots. The booster shots are different. They are recommended for all persons because studies show that the protective effect of the first two shots can diminish over time, especially as new variants of the COVID-19 virus emerge.
For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, vaccination information, emergency food distribution, emergency rental assistance and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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