RED BANK – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has announced its partnership with the Parker Family Health Center and Pilgrim Baptist Church to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in Red Bank beginning Feb. 4.
“My fellow commissioners and I are grateful for the partnership with the Parker Family Health Center and Pilgrim Baptist Church and their ability to assist with distributing vaccines to residents in Red Bank and the surrounding communities,” Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone was quoted as saying in a Feb. 3 press release from the county.
“The board hopes that through our community partnerships, we will be able to offer vaccines in locations that are convenient for all of our Monmouth County residents, many of whom rely on public transportation or walking to get where they need to go,” he said.
“As a board, we feel it is incredibly important to fairly distribute the vaccines to our residents and especially to the most vulnerable populations,” Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley said.
“In order to do this, we need to make the vaccine available at as many locations as we can and our partnership with the Parker Family Health Center and Pilgrim Baptist Church is a big step in the right direction,” Kiley said.
The Parker Family Health Center will distribute 100 vaccines per week, which will be given by appointment only, according to the press release.
“The county will continue to offer vaccines at the Monmouth County Agricultural Building in Freehold Township and at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft,” Arnone said. “The board will continue to work tirelessly to distribute all vaccines as soon as they are received by the state and continue to advocate for more vaccines to be given to Monmouth County residents.”
Currently, in New Jersey, vaccines are available to healthcare personnel, long-term care residents and staff, first responders, individuals age 65 and older as well as individuals ages 16 to 64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which increase the risk of severe illness from the coronavirus, according to the press release.
These conditions include cancer; chronic kidney disease; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); Down syndrome; heart conditions (heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies); obesity; severe obesity; sickle cell disease; smoking; and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant are also eligible, but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine, according to the press release.
Vaccines will be distributed at the Parker Family Health Center five days per week, including Saturday, and offer later hours on Wednesday. The hours, which are subject to change, will be as follows: Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To schedule an appointment for a vaccine, residents may call the Parker Family Health Center at 732-212-0777 or Pilgrim Baptist Church at 732-747-2348.
Residents who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can also go to the county’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com and use the Monmouth County COVID-19 vaccine wait list to be placed on the wait list for an appointment for a vaccine at the county’s vaccine sites in Freehold Township and Lincroft.
The next phases to be vaccinated will be the remainder of the essential workers and the general population. Monmouth County officials do not know when the New Jersey Department of Health will allow for the next phase to begin receiving vaccines, according to the press release.