Monmouth County partners with Monmouth Medical Center and Brookdale Community College to provide vaccination site

LINCROFT, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners held a joint press conference with Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, and Brookdale Community College today to announce their partnership to provide a vaccination site at Brookdale Community College’s Robert J. Collins Arena.

“I am very excited to announce the County’s partnership with Brookdale and Monmouth Medical Center to provide this vaccination site for our residents,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “We know that the rollout of the vaccine has been a frustrating process for everyone, but especially for our vulnerable residents who are seeking the vaccine. Unfortunately, we had been receiving an extremely limited amount of vaccinations and have not been able to meet the demand due to the insufficient supply received from the State. We have been advocating tirelessly for more vaccines for Monmouth County since the beginning and we will continue to seek more vaccines.”

Monmouth County was receiving only 500 vaccines per week, but the County was informed that, beginning next week, the County will receive 2,500 vaccines per week.

Of the 2,500, 2,000 vaccines will be administered at the Brookdale site over five days per week. The other 500 will be administered at the Monmouth County Agriculture Building in Freehold. All vaccines will be administered by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted.

“Our investment in this vaccination site is core to the Monmouth Medical Center and RWJBarnabas Health mission to improve the health and wellness of our community. We are thankful for the opportunity to work alongside Monmouth County and Brookdale Community College to help ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available,” said Eric Carney, President and CEO of Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus.

“Brookdale Community College is honored to partner with Monmouth County and RWJ Barnabas Health to ensure that the largest number of members of our community have access to the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Dr. David Stout, President of Brookdale Community College. “Thanks to Commissioner Director Tom Arnone, Monmouth Medical Center CEO Eric Carney and our respective teams, the vaccination site on Brookdale’s main campus in Lincroft will significantly increase the County’s capacity to deliver vaccines to the public. We’re proud to provide this critical service to our community.”

“Currently, in New Jersey, vaccines are available to healthcare personnel, long-term care residents and staff, first responders, individuals ages 65 and older as well as individuals ages 16-64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which increase the risk of severe illness from the virus,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley.

These conditions include:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
• Sickle cell disease
• Smoking
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine.

The Brookdale site will be open five days per week, including Saturday, and offer later hours on Mondays. The hours, which are subject to change, will be as follows: Monday from 1-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Freehold site will continue to operate five days per week, Monday through Friday, and the times will vary based on vaccine availability.

“These hours are subject to change and likely will as the number of vaccines we receive and guidelines continue to change,” said Commissioner Director Arnone. “Initially, we will be scheduling individuals from the County’s waiting list, which currently has more than 11,000 names on it, until our new registration system is ready to go live.”

Residents who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can go to the County’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com and use the Monmouth County COVID-19 Vaccine Waitlist to be placed on the waitlist for an appointment for a vaccine.

“While we do not have control over how many vaccines we receive or when we receive them, we will work tirelessly to distribute all vaccines as soon as they are received by the State and continue to advocate for more vaccines to be given to Monmouth County residents,” said Commissioner Director Arnone. “I would also like to take this opportunity to ask for volunteers. We are looking for volunteers to give vaccinations and to work registration.

Those interested in volunteering can call the Monmouth County Health Department Phone Bank at 732-845-2070 or email MonmouthCOVID19@visitmonmouth.com.

The next Phase to be vaccinated will be the remainder of the essential workers and the general population.

Monmouth County does not know when New Jersey Department of Health will allow for the next Phase to begin receiving vaccines.

For more information regarding the State’s phased approach, go to covid19.nj.gov.