Hudson County Executive Announces Vaccine Site Will Begin Giving Third Doses to Immunocompromised Residents

No Appointments Necessary at County’s Drive-In Site in Kearny

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — At the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and State Department of Health, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Hudson Regional Health Commission and the county’s Vaccine Task Force will begin distributing third shots of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised individuals starting today. These additional doses will be available at the USS Juneau Center Vaccine Site with no appointment required, and a full listing of available drive-in hours is available on its website: https://hudsoncovidvax.org/

“With the Delta variant leading to rising cases and the CDC now recommending third doses for immunocompromised individuals, our Vaccine Task Force is fully prepared to distribute these lifesaving vaccines to people in need just as we have been since our program began in December,” said County Executive DeGise. “We also remain committed to bringing vaccines deeper into our communities to further increase our county’s strong vaccination numbers and keep our residents safe from COVID-19.”

According to the CDC, to severely immunocompromised people with the following conditions should receive an additional vaccine dose:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies

• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy

• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy)

• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)

• Advanced or untreated HIV infection

• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

Only the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available for additional doses and residents should take the same vaccine that they received previously at least four weeks after the second dose. No proof of condition or doctor’s note will be required.

About the Hudson County Vaccine Distribution Center: The Hudson County Vaccine Distribution Center is operated by Hudson Regional Health Commission and overseen by County Executive Tom DeGise’s Vaccine Task Force, which includes representatives from the Hudson County Improvement Authority, the Hudson County Office of Emergency Management, County Department of Roads and Public Property, the Hudson County Schools of Technology and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office. The center is located at the USS Juneau Center at 110 Hackensack in Kearny.