Union County to Increase Number of Vaccines
UNION COUNTY, NJ — In response to the rising demand for COVID-19 vaccinations, as of Dec. 15 Union County’s test sites will operate on an accelerated schedule of five days per week shared between three mass-vaccination sites located in Union Township, Roselle, and Plainfield.
The new schedule will enable Union County to increase the number of vaccinations administered each week. In order to accommodate the new schedule, Union County’s mobile vaccination service will be temporarily suspended at the end of December.
The recently identified Omicron variant, and an increase in confirmed positive cases, has made the demand for vaccines dramatically increase around Union County and elsewhere in New Jersey.
“Union County’s COVID-19 response strategy is designed to adjust rapidly to new circumstances as the pandemic continues,” said Union County Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Vaccination is the only sure way to prevent serious illness and death, and we are committed to providing our residents with ample opportunities to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Union County will be operating stationary sites five days a week with the following schedule:
· Warinanco Park, Roselle - Tuesdays and Thursdays – 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Pfizer Vaccine for those ages 5 years old and up)
· Kean University, Union Township - Wednesdays and Fridays – 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer 12 and up only – No pediatric vaccines)
· Plainfield High School, Plainfield – Saturdays – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (All Vaccines including Pediatric Pfizer)
No cases of the Omicron variant have been identified within Union County. The Union County COVID-19 Partnership Lab at Kean University has expanded testing protocols l to include detection of the Omicron variant. Union County COVID-19 testing operations have analysis prepared to identify cases of all currently known variants. In addition to analysis of current tests performed, COVID-19 positive test samples going back 30 days have been pulled and re-sequenced.
The Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, has been detected in various countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. One of the identifying factors is the existence of an S-gene dropout in a spike protein. An S-gene dropout is not indicative of the Omicron variant, however all positive results of the Omicron variant have been identified as containing the S-gene dropout. There are currently 19 states with confirmed cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Appointments at permanent vaccine sites can be booked online by creating an account at ucnj.org/vax. Residents looking to visit the Immunization Clinic for a free COVID-19 vaccine can walk in Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This article originally appeared on the Summit Patch
