N.J. county’s vaccination site dedicates set days, hours for educators to get COVID-19 shots – NJ.com

Registration for vaccine appointments reserved for teachers who work in Essex County will become available on Friday at 5 p.m., county officials said.

The appointments will be scheduled between March 22 to 26 for teachers and school support staff working at public, private, charter and parochial schools in Essex County. The Moderna vaccine will be provided to them at the Kmart in West Orange from 4 to 6 p.m. on those dates.

“Vaccinating teachers and school support personnel is the best way for us to reopen our schools and restore in-person instruction for our children,” said Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. “We are pleased to offer these special and convenient times for school staff to receive their vaccinations.”

A special button will be created on www.EssexCOVID.org for teachers and support staff to click on to schedule an appointment. The appointments will be added to the website on Friday afternoon.

Teachers and support staff will be required to bring their school district identification card or badge with them. If they are unable to present an ID or badge, they will not receive a vaccine, county officials said.

Vaccinations will only be given to those with an appointment and no walk-ups will be accommodated. Additional appointment times for teachers will be added the following week if they were needed, DiVincenzo said.

The county has five vaccination sites available to eligible residents. The City of Newark also began vaccinating its teachers ahead of public schools reopening April 12.

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Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.