NEW JERSEY – Access to the coronavirus vaccines have been limited by age groups, health history, and professions, but now every New Jersey resident 16 and older will be allowed to make appointments.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced the change and said it will begin on April 19.
Health officials had broken down the populace into phases based on how likely they are to come into contact with the virus, how severe the virus is to that particular group, and how necessary an occupation is to society. This is why health workers and those who live in long-term care like nursing homes were in the first phase. Soon after that, first responders like police officers and firefighters were brought into the fold. Now, it will be everyone 16 and older.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines had not been tested on anyone younger than 16, which is why the rollout didn’t reach school age children until now.
However, a Pfizer representative said that the vaccine is effective in children 12 and older.
