Here's Who Is Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine First In New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — Who in New Jersey is getting the first round of the coronavirus vaccine? The list is actually much, much broader than initially thought – and they're not just doctors and nurses.

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, said state Health Commissioner Judy Perischelli on Friday and Monday (see list below).

"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 healthcare setting."

The first round of dosing will begin Tuesday morning for doctors, nurses and staff at University Hospital in Newark, part of the Robert Wood Johnson-Barnabas network.

Vaccinations will also take place at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City and Cooper University Hospital in Camden. Read more: Coronavirus Vaccines Coming To NJ On Tuesday: Here's When, Where

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

There are 650,000 New Jersey residents who fit into one of those above categories. It does not mean all 650,000 will get the vaccine in December: The state of New Jersey has 76,050 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to give in the first round.

Those who live in long-term care facilities will also start receiving their first round of the vaccine this week. The Pfizer vaccine will require a second shot. More than 20,000 doses will go to long-term care facilities and 54,000 will go to hospitals, which will be the only points of dispensing this week.

The New Jersey hospitals getting the first round of the Pfizer vaccine are University Health in Newark, Cooper in Camden, AtlantiCare, Morristown Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. All have arctic-level, subzero freezers in place to store the vaccines.

Very soon, 53 acute-care hospitals in New Jersey will have the Pfizer vaccine, officials said.

And the Moderna vaccine 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 they receive their second dose, a new tranche will receive their first," said Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking Monday.

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

"Tuesday is a big day," he said. "Judy and I will be in Newark along with University Hospital staff to witness some of our heroic front-line healthcare workers receive the first vaccinations against COVID-19. It is a momentous day, a day of hope and optimism for getting to the other side."

However, "this is not the end," he said.

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

"For use to reach herd immunity it will require 70 percent of New Jersey adults to be vaccinated. That's four million people," he said. "We cannot let our guard down. Especially to our younger folks: The new infections skew to younger residents while the share of deaths skews to the older residents. So you may be young; you may show no symptoms, but you could be passing this to your parents and grandparents and essentially — I hate to say it — killing them."