Sheriff Anthony Cureton Announces Bergen County Jail Custody Vaccinations

Hackensack, N.J. – Today the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office administered its first series of covid-19 vaccine shots to inmates and detainees.  The sheriff’s office correctional facility received 100 vials of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which was administered by the medical staff within the jail.

An inmate, who we will refer to as G.H., stated to Sheriff Anthony Cureton, “I took the vaccine to show family, friends, and those incarcerated that if I could take it, they should as well. It’s about them being healthy and staying around.”

A total of 32 shots were given to detainees and county inmates, with no adverse effects to the vaccine. As the shots were being administrated, more detainees and inmates requested to be recipients of the vaccine as it became available. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, those in custody are tested upon intake as well as randomly. The Bergen County Jail had only 53 positive cases, with mild symptoms and no hospital stays.

“Throughout the pandemic, the sheriff’s office has been concerned about the potential impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations, such as those in high-risk, congregate settings,” Sheriff Anthony Cureton said.