ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced May 4 that appointments are no longer needed to get a vaccine at Essex County’s vaccination centers at the former Kmart, 235 Prospect Ave. in West Orange, and Essex County College, 177 W. Market St. in Newark. Those who reside, work or attend school in Essex County are able to walk in at either location between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to receive their vaccination.
“Throughout the entire vaccination process, we constantly were finetuning our program to make sure everyone who wants to get vaccinated can do so. Opening our sites to walk-in appointments will make it even easier and more convenient to get vaccinated,” DiVincenzo said. “Getting vaccinated is the strongest tool we have to combat the coronavirus and help us return to normalcy.”
At the end of April, DiVincenzo announced the vaccination centers at the former Sears in Livingston, West Caldwell Tech in West Caldwell and the Donald Payne School in Newark would no longer be administering first doses of the Moderna vaccine. They will remain open to provide second doses of the Moderna vaccine. People who received their first doses at these three clinics should return to them to receive their second doses.
Through Saturday, May 1, Essex County has administered 175,965 first doses and 133,851 second doses of the Moderna vaccine, and 12,954 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In addition to operating five stationary vaccination sites, Essex County created a special program to bus senior citizens to vaccination sites; created a mobile vaccination program to host clinics at churches, community centers and senior buildings — and is expanding that program to include a second unit; opened pop-up vaccination clinics at homeless shelters and boarding homes to vaccinate vulnerable residents; and partnered with municipal mayors and health officers to identify and vaccinate homebound residents.
Should someone still want to make an appointment to get vaccinated, visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-877-8456.