COVID Vaccines, Tests In Essex County: How To Get Yours (UPDATE) – West Orange, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — If you’re 12 or up and live, work or go to school in Essex County, getting a coronavirus vaccine may be easier than you think.

New Jersey has cleared the way for vaccination sites across the state, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, supermarkets, pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Some are accepting appointments or have residency requirements, but others do not. Visit COVIDvaccine.nj.gov to preregister. You can find a list of locations giving shots in Essex County here.

There are also many other ways to get a vaccine if you live in the area.

Through much of the pandemic, Essex County was running five vaccination centers in Livingston, Newark, West Caldwell and West Orange. Operations have since scaled down to a pair of sites:

  • Newark – Essex County College, 177 West Market Street
  • West Orange – Old Kmart building, 235 Prospect Street

As of Monday, July 26, the two centers have new hours. Essex County College in Newark will be open on Mondays and Saturdays, and Kmart in West Orange will be open on Fridays and Saturdays. Both sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each of the available versions of the vaccine are available, including the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna versions, as well as the Pfizer version, which is available to kids 12 and older. Children ages 12 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Appointments aren’t needed, but can be made by visiting www.EssexCOVID.org or calling 973-877-8456.

There are no out of pocket costs, although residents may be asked for insurance information if they have it so that the county can bill their providers $40 for each dose.

In addition to vaccines, the county is also offering free COVID-19 testing at its vaccine sites in Newark and West Orange. Learn more here.

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MOBILE LOCATIONS

Residents can also be vaccinated at the county’s mobile clinics, which take place throughout the region. Appointments aren’t needed.

County officials shared a list of upcoming free clinics, which can be seen below. This week’s list included events in Montclair, Irvington, Maplewood, Bloomfield, Newark, Belleville, East Orange and Orange.