Officials in Montgomery and Hillsborough announced a series of joint COVID-19 vaccination clinics for May and June, as part of a push to maximize the number of their residents protected against the novel coronavirus.
The two neighboring municipalities will alternate between their respective senior centers on Saturday mornings 9 a.m. to noon. They will also hold a series of pop-up clinics, usually on Thursdays, with the exact time and location changing as part of a strategy of reaching out to hesitant populations.
The Saturday clinics will feature the Moderna vaccine, while the pop-up clinics will use either the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine or Moderna, based on supply. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted.
“This collaboration with Hillsborough is based on the fact that local health departments are best able to reach vaccine hesitant residents,” Montgomery Township Mayor Devra Keenan said in a statement provided by Montgomery Township. “It also addresses the physical distance between our towns and the county’s primary vaccine site in Branchburg.”
“With New Jersey largely reopening in May, everyone should get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Hillsborough Mayor Shawn Lipani said in the statement. “Vaccines are readily available now, so make an appointment today.”
Both municipalities are doing well in terms of vaccination, with at least two-thirds of adults having received one or more doses of the vaccine by late April, well ahead of state and county averages.
“But the remaining residents are more hesitant and therefore more difficult to reach,” Montgomery Health Officer Stephanie D. Carey said in the statement.
“Reaching hesitant people will take a big investment in time, to answer questions and build trust,” Hillsborough Health Officer Siobhan Spano said in the statement. “But that’s how we end this pandemic and get back to normal.”
The Montgomery and Hillsborough Health Departments have announced the following clinics dates:
- Saturday, May 8, Otto Kaufman Community Center in Montgomery
- Thursday, May 13, Montgomery ShopRite Plaza, 4-7 p.m.
- Saturday, May 15, Hillsborough Municipal Building (Senior Meeting Room)
- Thursday, May 20, Location to be announced
- Saturday, May 22, Otto Kaufman Community Center in Montgomery
- Thursday, May 27, Hillsborough Municipal Building (Senior Meeting Room)
Additional dates in June will be announced.
The clinics can be reserved through the state COVID website at https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/ or via the Montgomery Township website at https://twp.montgomery.nj.us/covid-vaccine-clinics/.
Residents uncomfortable signing up online can call Montgomery Township at 908-359-8211, ext. 2400.
Officials in both townships are eager to hear from local non-profits, service organizations, houses of worship, and other groups that might be interested in offering a pop-up clinic to their members and clients.
To request a pop-up clinic, contact [email protected].