header_fwtitle ) { $css_title .= 'font-weight:' . esc_attr( $pheader_fwtitle ) . ';'; } if ( $pheader_title_color ) { $css_title .= 'color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_title_color ) . ';'; } if ( $css_title ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .penci-page-header-title {' . $css_title . '}'; } if ( $pheader_line_color ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .penci-page-header-title:before{ border-color: ' . esc_attr( $pheader_line_color ) . '; opacity: 1; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_fsize ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb span, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb i{ font-size:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bread_fsize ) . 'px; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_color ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb span, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a,.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb i{ color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bread_color ) . '; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_hcolor ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a:hover{ color:' . $pheader_bread_hcolor . '; }'; } if ( $pheader_bgimg ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap{ background-image: url(' . esc_attr( $pheader_bgimg ) . '); }'; } if ( $pheader_bgcolor ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap{ background-color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bgcolor ) . '; }'; } } endif; CDC Archives - The Village Green https://villagegreennj.com/tag/cdc/ of Maplewood and South Orange Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:54:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/vg-fav-1.png CDC Archives - The Village Green https://villagegreennj.com/tag/cdc/ 32 32 South Orange-Maplewood Health Official: Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism https://villagegreennj.com/health-wellness/south-orange-maplewood-health-official-vaccines-dont-cause-autism/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:54:23 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=157618

"We just want to reiterate that scientists have repeatedly found no link between vaccines and autism. There is no single root cause of autism. And we just want to remind the public that there is no link between vaccines and the increasing autism rates we have seen in this country." — Local Health Outreach Coordinator Gabriel Suarez

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During the Maplewood Board of Health meeting on December 2, a South Orange-Maplewood health official stressed that there is no evidence that vaccines are linked to autism, contrary to recent changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website that include false claims linking autism and vaccines.

“Our first slide here is included to address the recent statements coming from the CDC that suggested there may be a link between vaccines and autism,” said Local Health Outreach Coordinator Gabriel Suarez. “We just want to reiterate that along with several other professional organizations — this one specifically is from the American Academy of Pediatrics — that says scientists have repeatedly found no link between vaccines and autism. There is no single root cause of autism. And we just want to remind the public that there is no link between vaccines and the increasing autism rates we have seen in this country.”

Suarez also provided information for upcoming vaccine clinics:

Deputy Mayor Malia Herman thanked Suarez for the slide.

“That’s a really important message to get out to our community, especially in light of some of the things that we’re hearing out of Washington,” said Herman. “So I’d like to see that shared, along with our information about the vaccines, with our community. But thank you for including that slide in your presentation. I think it goes a long way to giving the right medical information to our residents.”

Board of Health Chair Deb Engel then relayed a story from a local resident who shared on social media that her family’s health care costs were going to increase from $777 to $2221 per month due to the loss of subsidizes for ACA health insurance programs.

“I think a lot of people on this dais have corporate health insurance and I don’t think you realize how hard it is,” said Engel. “I’ve been on the marketplace since 2015, and it’s really hard right now. I just want to make sure that we’re aware of it and thinking about it, and thinking about ways that we can be helping our community.”

Herman thanked Engel for her comments. “I saw that comment on Facebook as well and was equally shocked and dismayed at this cost increase. And I think this is definitely going to be a big issue and hopefully we can find ways to help.”

Mayor Nancy Adams suggested that the health department replicate its efforts for filling food needs for families who lost SNAP benefits.

“We stepped up in conjunction with the South Orange-Maplewood School District when the SNAP benefits were cut, when the government shut down,” said Adams. “And I think maybe we need to look at health screenings and vaccinations to the extent that we can make those available in some way. To step up for yet another gap under the Trump administration that we’re experiencing.”

Before adjourning, Engel bid farewell to her role as Board of Health chair.

“I have been Board of Health Chair for three years and I have just loved it,'” said Engel, who is retiring from the Township Committee as of January 1, 2026. “I’ve loved working with Ms. Davenport. I’ve loved working with you, Gabe. I loved working with your predecessor. With all of our various staff that we’ve had in the health department. It’s one of my sad things that I will not be able to chair this meeting anymore. But I look forward to hopefully being able to continue on the Municipal Alliance with you all. Thank you so much for your report, for your time.”

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]]> Starting February, Unboosted SOMSD Students 12+ Must Quarantine After Close Contact https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/starting-february-unboosted-somsd-students-12-must-quarantine-after-close-contact/ Tue, 25 Jan 2022 22:23:27 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=86227

Beginning February, all South Orange-Maplewood School District students ages 12 and above must have…

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Beginning February, all South Orange-Maplewood School District students ages 12 and above must have the COVID-19 booster shot, or will be required to quarantine upon close contact with a positive case.

This decision, said Supt. Dr. Ronald Taylor at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, aligns with the New Jersey Department of Health, which recently changed its close contact quarantine guidance in accordance with CDC recommendations.  (See pages 11-12).

“As of January 19, the NJ Department of Health [has] changed the close contact quarantine guidance,” Taylor said. “This is very important and timely. Beginning in February, individuals ages 12 and above who have not received a booster shot will need to quarantine after being identified as a close contact.”

More detailed information on this update will be released shortly, Taylor said. Meanwhile, parents should wait for further communication on the issue before uploading their child’s booster information to the district website.

SOMSD recently shortened its quarantine period to five days for unvaccinated students who are a close contact; starting next month, the 5-day quarantine will also apply to students 12 and up who are unboosted.

“We want to encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated of course, and to get boosted, for your health and the health of our community,” Taylor said.

Vaccinations and booster shots are available at the Sears in Livingston, Kmart in West Orange, and Essex County Parking Deck in Newark. The hours are Thursday to Friday from 9am to 7pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm.

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]]> South Orange-Maplewood District Provides Fall 2021 Travel Quarantine Guidelines for Unvaccinated https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/south-orange-maplewood-district-provides-travel-quarantine-guidelines-for-school-reopening/ Wed, 18 Aug 2021 21:09:07 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=83337

SOMSD administration signFrom South Orange-Maplewood School District: RETURN TO SCHOOL: CDC TRAVEL QUARANTINE GUIDELINES FOR THE…

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From South Orange-Maplewood School District:

RETURN TO SCHOOL: CDC TRAVEL QUARANTINE GUIDELINES FOR THE UNVACCINATED

August 17, 2021

Dear Parents / Guardians, Students, and Community Members,

As we begin to prepare for a September 2021 return to school, we know that families have pre-planned vacation trips or may be planning for a final trip with their child(ren) to wrap up the summer break.  As such, we want to share the most recent travel quarantine guidelines for unvaccinated individuals as per CDC guidance, *NJ Department of Health and input from our local Departments of Health.

A reminder, the first day of school for the District is as follows:

  • Thursday, September 9:  Grades PreK – 7 and 9th grade
  • Friday, September 10:  Grades 8, and 10th – 12th grades

For the purpose of this guidance, domestic travel is defined as travel lasting 24 hours or longer to states or US territories other than contiguous states (i.e., Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Connecticut).  NOTE:  Fully-vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine. 

For unvaccinated persons after you travel:
Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days* after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel. (For testing options – covid19.nj.gov)

  • Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
  • If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 full days after travel.

Important Note:  The day the family returns is Day Zero. Then count seven or ten full days depending on testing.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RETURN TO SCHOOL?

Unvaccinated Travelling Student Quarantine Guidelines
Grades PreK – 7 and 9

  • May attend on the first day of school Thurs., September 9 ONLY IF

  1. Student returns from travel on September 1 and tests negative on Day 3, 4 or 5 after return |  # of Quarantine Days:  7, or

  2. Student returns from travel on August 29 and chooses not to test | # of Quarantine Days:  10
Grades 8 and 10 – 12

  • May attend on the first day of school on Friday, September 10 ONLY IF

  1. Student returns from travel on September 2 and tests negative on Day 3, 4 or 5 after return |  # of Quarantine Days:  7; or

  2. Student returns from travel on August 30 and chooses not to test | # of Quarantine Days:  10

HOW WILL STUDENTS ACCESS THEIR CLASSES DURING QUARANTINE?

If your family does not return by the dates above, your unvaccinated students may access their classes virtually during quarantine.  If your student needs a Chromebook to access their classes in the beginning of the school year, Chromebooks may be picked up on the following days:

Dates: Wednesday  & Thursday, September 1 – 2, 2021
Times: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Place: Columbia High School (Side Door, Academy Street entrance)
Note:  Please make sure that the person picking up the Chromebook is: 1) not exhibiting any symptoms  2) wearing a mask and 3) not supposed to be quarantined due to recent travel or close contact.

Quarantine Chromebook Reservation:
So that our IT department is able to better prepare for distribution, any parent/guardian requesting a Chromebook will need to fill out the attached google form to reserve your Chromebook:

To view full CDC guidance for both domestic and international travel for unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals, view the links below:

*Although NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) no longer issues its OWN travel advisory list, it directs us to CDC guidance, as does our local Departments of Health.

Sincerely,

The South Orange & Maplewood School District

 

Download this letter as a PDF:  SOMSD Return to School: CDC Travel Quarantine Guidelines for the Unvaccinated
View/Download Letter from the District website:  https://bit.ly/3AMkaU3  |  Spanish Translation:  bit.ly/3sqa1tc  | Haitian Creole Translation:  bit.ly/3sp4kvy

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]]> Maplewood & South Orange to Continue Outdoor Mask Mandates for Now, Despite Shift in CDC Guidelines https://villagegreennj.com/health/maplewood-south-orange-will-continue-to-enforce-mask-policies-despite-shift-in-cdc-guidelines/ Thu, 29 Apr 2021 22:26:54 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=80734

The CDC announced on Tuesday that it would recommend that fully vaccinated Americans no…

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The CDC announced on Tuesday that it would recommend that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks outdoors, unless they are in large crowds. In addition, people who are not vaccinated may walk, bike or run alone or with members of their household, or attend small outdoor gatherings unmasked.

However, local leaders of Maplewood and South Orange say that for now, they have no plans to change or eliminate their policies on mask wearing outdoors.

In a statement released Thursday, Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee said the township will “continue enforcing our existing masking policy in public spaces where social distancing isn’t always possible such as in our parks, business districts,  and outdoor events including outdoor markets.  Even in light of yesterday’s announcement by the CDC relaxing outdoor masking in smaller outdoor gatherings or settings and for when walking or exercising alone (or with members of your household), masking is still highly recommended in crowded outdoor settings or events,” McGehee wrote.

He continued, “Too many of our residents have yet to be vaccinated fully, we have not reached herd immunity, so we must continue adhering to the same precautions in order to turn the corner.”

McGehee told Village Green that the township’s “thoughtful actions” of the last year “have led to our effective ability to keep the pandemic manageable in our community and we plan to continue with that model until we are completely on the other side.”

South Orange Director of Emergency Management Scott Egelberg said the township would reassess its mask mandates in light of the CDC shift; however, “we also take our lead from the state, so our restrictions will likely start to loosen concurrently to their restrictions.”

More than 2.86 million people have been fully vaccinated in New Jersey as of Tuesday — about 41% of the state’s 6.9 million adult residents, according to NJ.com, which noted the state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of the adult population by the end of June.

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]]> Essex County Halts Use of J&J Vaccine As CDC, FDA Recommends Pause After 6 Cases of Blood Clots https://villagegreennj.com/health/essex-county-halts-use-of-jj-vaccine-as-cdc-fda-recommends-pause-after-6-cases-of-blood-clots/ Tue, 13 Apr 2021 16:22:12 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=80246

Statement by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. “The CDC and FDA are recommending…

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Statement by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

“The CDC and FDA are recommending that J&J vaccinations be paused because six cases of blood clotting have been reported out of almost seven million doses given. This is less than one in one million. In an abundance of caution, we are following the CDC and FDA recommendation.

Residents who have scheduled a J&J appointment at our Kmart or Sears sites will be offered the Moderna vaccine instead. Senior citizens who are being bused to our sites to receive their vaccination also will receive the Moderna vaccine. Unfortunately, our mobile sites at churches, senior buildings, community centers, shelters, boarding homes and homebound residents will be rescheduled.”

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]]> Vaccine Q&A: How Can I Get an Appointment? Why Are Smokers Prioritized? https://villagegreennj.com/health/vaccine-qa-how-can-i-get-an-appointment-why-are-smokers-prioritized/ Wed, 10 Feb 2021 17:49:30 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=78667

This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under…

The post Vaccine Q&A: How Can I Get an Appointment? Why Are Smokers Prioritized? appeared first on The Village Green.

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This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

Click here for the original article, written by Lilo H. Stainton.

Two months into New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination program, more than 1 million shots have been administered and some 242,000 people have received the two doses needed to provide maximum protection. The program first targeted health care workers and long-term care residents and staff, and has since grown significantly, so that demand for vaccines now far outpaces the supply provided to the state by federal officials.

The enormous public interest in the program has largely overwhelmed the state’s multi-faceted, decentralized vaccination registration system and caused growing frustration among those trying to schedule an appointment to be immunized. State officials created a telephone hotline, which has been swamped with calls since it opened several weeks ago.

New Jersey residents have lots of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, including how they can get it. Some are also curious about the vaccines themselves, following former President Trump’s efforts to politicize their development; and they question the speed at which vaccines were tested and authorized for emergency use. Others wonder why the state made the choices it did to prioritize access for certain groups, like cigarette smokers.

NJ Spotlight News hosted a virtual roundtable in late January at which several policy experts discussed the state program and what remains to be done, particularly to ensure vulnerable communities have access to immunizations. The conversation included Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, who once served as the state epidemiologist and has returned to advise the health department during the pandemic.

To continue that conversation and help others navigate the state’s process, Bresnitz answered additional questions submitted by audience members before and during the online event. Below are his responses to a dozen of the most pressing queries raised:

Question: When it comes to the priority groups, why is a 20-year-old smoker equal to a 90-year-old nonsmoker?

Answer: I understand why this may sound like an unfair comparison, but there is a rationale for including smokers in the priority group. A Jan. 25 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association — Internal Medicine (JAMA), found that people who smoke or who have smoked in the past are more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 than people who have not or never smoked. Smoking may compromise a person’s ability to mount the appropriate immune response against infections.

Additionally, smokers are more likely to have other diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, which are all linked to poor health outcomes. The JAMA article found that persons who smoked more than 30-pack years (multiply the number of packs smoked per day times the years of smoking) have 2.25 times higher odds of being hospitalized and were 1.89 times more likely to die than those who never smoked.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has included smokers on their list of high-risk medical conditions for COVID-19, without distinguishing age as a further factor.

We have heard a lot of judgment about including smokers, but we need to focus on the science and what the research shows are high-risk groups who should be prioritized to be vaccinated.

Q: Why do some counties have more vaccines than others?

A: During this time of scarce vaccine allotments, factors taken under advisement when considering vaccine distribution are the population size of the county, the disease burden of the county population, vaccine coverage of the county population, and other factors that increase vulnerability of the county population.

Q: What is the most efficient way to get an appointment? Many of us are spending one to two hours a day checking websites and making futile calls, where you get stuck on hold or cut off.

A: Currently, over 4 million people are eligible for the vaccine in New Jersey with limited doses available each week. With demand currently exceeding supply, we know that it will take more time than we want for all those who are currently eligible, and those who will become eligible, to get vaccinated.

New Jersey has many locations for eligible persons to get vaccinated. However, many of the sites have their own websites to make appointments. While this may not be ideal, it is the system in place.

Eventually the vaccine will be available to everyone who wants it in New Jersey, which is using a phased approach to ensure a fair and equitable distribution. As more and more doses become available, more appointments will become available.

As the governor recently announced, CVS and Rite Aid will be opening retail locations in the coming weeks, bringing additional vaccine into the state.

If you are eligible to receive a vaccine based on current state policy, you can make an appointment directly with one of the many designated vaccination sites across the state. The list of these sites is available on the COVID-19 information hub at covid19.nj.gov/vaccine.

You can pre-register for the vaccine on the NJ Vaccine Scheduling System. Register here. You will be notified when you are eligible to make an appointment. If you need assistance pre-registering and making an appointment, contact the vaccine call center at 855-568-0545.

Q: When can we expect a vaccine suitable for children?

A: Several companies have begun enrolling children as young as 12 in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Results will hopefully be available by the summer. Some manufacturers are planning studies including children under 12 to begin over the next few months.

Q: What are the plans to vaccinate homebound people or those who do not have transportation to the mega-sites or other clinics, like homeless individuals?

A: Homebound: The homebound population is a challenge with the current vaccine supply and the complex storage and handling requirements of both vaccines. All partners are working toward a solution. We remain hopeful with information about the new vaccines that may be available on the near horizon as possible solutions.

Homeless: New Jersey agencies are working with shelter operators to plan vaccination of residents of shelters. This includes education, pre-registration in the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System, and vaccination via pop-up and mobile clinics.

As announced at the governor’s recent briefing, New Jersey is also working with commercial pharmacies such as Rite Aid and CVS to begin to provide vaccination to eligible people. These pharmacies are in many neighborhoods, and in many cases within walking distance of vulnerable populations.

Additionally, New Jersey is working with faith communities to host vaccine clinics in churches and community centers. As vaccine supply increases, more vaccination options will become available.

Q: Will doctors be permitted to vaccinate patients in their office, particularly special needs patients — like autistic children — who have developed a particular rapport with their provider?

A: Currently, one COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for persons 16 years old and older and another for adults 18 and over. The two vaccines currently available have storage and handling requirements that most private providers are unable to accommodate, such as ultra-cold storage and administering multiple doses within a shortened time frame. The goal is to vaccinate as many people as efficiently as possible, which is why COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available in sites such as primary care physician offices.

As additional vaccines become available with more manageable storage and handling requirements and expanded indications, private practice physicians will be able to become COVID-19 vaccine providers and administer vaccine in their offices to adult and pediatric populations.

Q: What is the state doing to make sure the vaccine is equitably distributed, so those most adversely affected by COVID-19 have real access to immunizations?

A: The first strategic aim of New Jersey’s vaccination plan is to provide equitable access to all who live, work, and/or are educated in New Jersey. The state is committed to equitable vaccine access for previously underserved communities who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The Department of Health has an evolving Vulnerable Populations Plan that involves partnership with places of worship, senior centers, community centers and local health agencies. We are also training community health workers to provide education and access to vaccination through pop-up, mobile, and possibly door-to door vaccination in cities hard-hit by COIVD-19. The plan uses the same strategy we used to ramp up COVID-19 testing in our urban centers.

New Jersey is purchasing mobile vans that will be dispatched to neighborhoods for testing and in the future, possibly vaccination. As you know, the two vaccines that currently are approved and being administered have certain storage requirements that present challenges outside of a very controlled setting. We are hopeful for additional COVID-19 vaccines that may be easier to administer in a mobile or pop-up clinic setting.

Q: How is the state addressing vaccine hesitancy, particularly among communities predominated by people of color.

A: New Jersey is using a phased approach to vaccination to ensure that limited vaccines are distributed in a fair and equitable manner. The department has conducted numerous listening sessions/focus groups with diverse communities to learn how to best address immunization barriers and vaccination concerns, such as vaccine hesitancy. Direct outreach to these communities has been underway over the last few months to work with community leaders about how to best offer vaccination.

To reduce access barriers, New Jersey is working with community leaders to set up mobile units and local pharmacies to ensure vaccinations are available in underserved communities.

As part of our statewide public awareness program, the DOH along with our vendor, Princeton Partners, has produced a series of videos and digital ads featuring physicians and nurses of color on social media and YouTube. There are also three virtual town halls scheduled this month. On February 11th, we will be hosting a town hall geared toward African American and Caribbean communities; on the 15th we will address the Latinx community, and a Spanish-only virtual town hall is also planned.

Q: What are the long-term effects of the vaccine? Will we need to get it every year, or every other year?

A: Both this virus and the vaccine are new. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who get infected or those who are vaccinated. What we do know is that COVID-19 has caused very serious illness and death for a lot of people. If you get COVID-19, you also risk giving it to loved ones who may get very sick. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is one of the tools that we have to prevent illness. The vaccines currently authorized for use have gone through rigorous studies to ensure they are efficacious with a favorable safety profile.

Q: If you’ve had COVID-19, do you still need to be vaccinated? How long after you test positive should you wait to get a shot?

A: Great question. The answer is yes, we are recommending that anyone 16 and older and is eligible consider getting vaccinated if they have previously had COVID-19. Current evidence suggests getting the virus again (reinfection) is uncommon in the 90 days after the first infection. A person may delay getting vaccinated for 90 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19 to get the vaccine.

Q: What percentage of the public must be vaccinated before it is safe to reopen businesses? What percentage is needed for full community protection?

A: Experts do not yet know what percentage of people would need to get vaccinated to achieve community protection (also referred to as herd immunity) to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other experts are studying this and will provide more information as it is available.

Some experts have estimated that at least 70% or more of the population needs to be vaccinated to achieve community protection.

Q: When will the general population be eligible for a shot and when do you expect they can actually get vaccinated?

A: At this time, we are awaiting more doses of the vaccines to be manufactured and distributed and additional vaccines to receive FDA Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

New Jersey has vaccination infrastructure in place across the state (mega-sites, hospitals, community health centers, local health departments, commercial pharmacies and more) and is working with the federal pharmacy program to vaccinate residents and staff in long term care facilities. As soon as more vaccine becomes available, the state will open additional vaccination sites.

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]]> Pop-Up Sites, Immunization Vans to Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Blacks, Communities of Color https://villagegreennj.com/health/pop-up-sites-immunization-vans-to-boost-covid-19-vaccinations-among-blacks-communities-of-color/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 15:07:14 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=78599

This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under…

The post Pop-Up Sites, Immunization Vans to Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Blacks, Communities of Color appeared first on The Village Green.

]]>

This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

Click here for the original article, written by Lilo H. Stainton.

With concern growing about the racial disparities in COVID-19 immunizations, Gov. Phil Murphy reiterated his commitment to equitable vaccine access Wednesday and said the state would establish vaccination sites at churches and community organizations to better reach Black and brown residents.

While Murphy offered no immediate details, the steps are part of the state Department of Health’s Vulnerable Populations Plan. The evolving strategy also envisions pop-up vaccination sites, immunization vans and “possibly door to door vaccination in cities hard hit by COVID-19,” DOH communications director Donna Leusner said Wednesday.

New Jersey officials are also working with drugstore chains CVS and Rite Aid to expand public access to coronavirus vaccines statewide, something Murphy said would launch next week and could particularly benefit underserved communities. State and local efforts are already underway to answer questions and address concerns raised by minority groups.

“We know this virus has had an outsized impact on our Black and brown communities, and in communities that have been historically under-resourced, especially in terms of medical care,” Murphy said at his media briefing Wednesday. “This is, as of three days ago, Black History Month, and I think that we all share a common goal to use this month wisely to help make COVID-19 history.”

Achieving greater equity will be a challenge, especially for the Garden State, where white residents appear more than three times more likely to get immunized than Black residents. According to the state’s vaccination data, white residents have received 48% of the doses administered; Hispanics have gotten 5% of the shots; and Black residents have received 3% of the COVID-19 vaccines so far. (No racial or ethnic data is available for 19% of the doses provided.)

Not just in New Jersey

The problem is certainly not limited to New Jersey. Experts note that a combination of long-standing mistrust of the medical establishment among minority communities, general concern about the development of this vaccine and logistical challenges nationwide have resulted in major racial disparities in coronavirus immunization rates. The Boston Globe found white residents in that region were twice as likely as Latinos, and more than three times as likely as Black residents to live within a mile of a vaccination site.

Dr. Denise Rodgers, a vice chancellor and professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick and a public health leader in Newark, said vaccine hesitancy is a real and legitimate concern. But Rodgers, who serves on the Department of Health’s vaccine advisory panel, said that’s only part one of the problem.

“What I am increasingly convinced of is that there is an equally important part two, (that) the mechanisms put in place to allow people to get the vaccine further disadvantage people in Black and Brown communities,” Rodgers said. Minority residents may be less likely to have the computer equipment, internet connection and time needed to register through the state’s complex online system, she said, and it is hard for someone working for an hourly wage to make the repeated calls required to get through to the state’s overwhelmed telephone hotline.

“Even for people who want to get the vaccine, we have a system in place that makes it very difficult for them,” Rodgers said, underscoring the need for more direct vaccine outreach in Black and brown communities. While limited vaccine supply has slowed the state’s efforts to implement some of these strategies, she said health commissioner Judy Persichilli has repeatedly prioritized the need to protect vulnerable individuals.

The racial gap in COVID-19 inoculations is particularly concerning given the outsize impact the coronavirus has had on minority communities nationwide and the elevated risks they face, given that many work in what are now considered essential jobs and live in situations more conducive to spread.

In New Jersey, state data shows Latinos comprise 19% of the state’s population, but one in four of the roughly 700,000 cases diagnosed since March. Black residents make up 14% of state population and 12% of its COVID cases. White residents are 67% of the population, yet only 40% of the cases. Of the 21,500-plus coronavirus-related deaths recorded here, 19% involve Hispanics, 17% Black residents and 56% white residents. New state data shows COVID-19 was the top cause of death for Latinos, Blacks and Asians in 2020.

While the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention required states to report race and ethnicity along with other vaccine data, nearly half of what has been collected lacks these details, Politico found. Of the 23 states now sharing these demographic details, New Jersey had the second-largest gap — after Pennsylvania — between the COVID-19 vaccination rate for Black residents and the rate for white residents, according to an analysis published last week by nonprofit Kaiser Health News.

What CDC data shows

Using the CDC data, Kaiser found that white residents in New Jersey — 6% of whom have received at least one of the two required shots — are being vaccinated at more than 3.4 times the rate of Blacks, 1.7% of whom have had at least one dose. Whites are 4.2 times more likely than Blacks to get vaccinated in Pennsylvania and 2.3 times more likely in Delaware, Kaiser Health News found; New York data was not included.

Given the long history of government lies and mistreatment of Black citizens — like the Tuskegee Study, which involved decades of syphilis experiments on African American men in Alabama — experts agree vaccine hesitancy among minority residents is understandable. The rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine, which was politicized under the former Trump administration, creates additional educational challenges, they note.

“This is a journey, especially for people of color who have seen the medical establishment mistreat them or someone in their family over and over again” because of open or implicit racial bias, explained Dr. Shereef Elnahal, president and CEO of Newark’s University Hospital and the former state health commissioner. “The first thing to do is approach the community humbly and recognize and legitimize those issues.”

As part of this process, Elnahal said leaders from University Hospital have led virtual forums for the community and partnered with mayors in majority-minority communities in the region on question-and-answer sessions. Working with trusted local organizations and faith leaders, they also are planning in-person events when infection is less of a concern, he said.

Must demonstrate trustworthiness

Elnahal said that while there are plenty of reasons for Black and brown residents to mistrust the medical system, that doesn’t mean they should avoid the COVID-19 vaccine. “There are good answers to all (their vaccine) questions. But if you go in there with guns blazing, with all the facts but without addressing all the reasons for that visceral response,” people will remain skeptical, he said. “We have to demonstrate that we are trustworthy.”

The state Department of Health has scheduled a trio of virtual town halls to address concerns from specific minority communities, starting with a forum targeted to African American and Caribbean residents set for Feb. 11. A second event is planned for the Latinx community on Feb. 15 and a third, entirely in Spanish, will be scheduled soon, the department said. Officials are also working with health care facilities to help them educate their workforce about the vaccine and encourage immunization among the staff.

Statewide forums are only part of the solution, public health leaders said. The Trenton Health Team, a community partnership that serves as a regional hub dedicated to expanding access to medical care is also hosting online sessions to answer residents’ questions about the vaccine. That included a Spanish-language forum on Wednesday with experts from the nearby Henry J. Austin Health Center and Rutgers University’s Institute for Health.

“The process of sharing info about the vaccine needs to happen at smaller, community levels,” Trenton Health Team’s executive Gregory Paulson said. “We first need to make it OK that people have questions,” he said. “And it’s our responsibility to give them the opportunity to get answers to those questions from trusted and accurate sources.”

Finding the right messenger is important, Paulson and Elnahal agreed, as community members are more likely to trust a source that shares their background or lived experience than someone from an outside institution, like government. And the process takes time and patience, they said.

“We can’t overcome generations of well-placed mistrust with a few isolated messages,” Paulson said. “We need to really learn about and honor the perspective in which our community members are asking these questions and help them understand.”

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]]> Celebrating Thanksgiving Safely in a Pandemic: Avoid Traveling, Keep it Small, Wear Masks — or Go Virtual https://villagegreennj.com/health/celebrating-thanksgiving-safely-in-a-pandemic-avoid-traveling-keep-it-small-wear-masks-or-go-virtual/ Sat, 21 Nov 2020 17:22:22 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=76643

With Thanksgiving less than a week away and coronavirus cases rising with no signs…

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With Thanksgiving less than a week away and coronavirus cases rising with no signs of letting up, many South Orange and Maplewood residents are wondering how – and whether – they can celebrate the holiday safely with family and friends. In short: Avoid traveling, keep it small, wear masks – and, in the best case scenario, do it virtually.

Experts know more now about how the virus is transmitted than they did in the first wave last spring; in particular, scientists now are certain that COVID-19 spreads quickly in close, indoor spaces with little ventilation, among people who are not wearing masks and are in close proximity for lengthy periods of time.

In other words: the typical Thanksgiving holiday – with multiple generations of family and friends gathered indoors for hours, talking, laughing, eating and hugging – is the perfect storm for a coronavirus outbreak.

In fact, with more than 1 million COVID-19 cases reported in just the last 7 days, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) urged Americans not to travel at all during the holiday, noting that the safest way to celebrate the holiday is at home, with people in your household.

“It’s understandable [that people want to gather for the holiday], I don’t want to be critical of that,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci this week in an interview on CBS This Morning. “But we want to just plead with them to understand the dynamics of this outbreak.”

He emphasized that if people do gather, they should wear masks and keep them on when they are not eating and drinking, even in a small group. “If we do the things that are simple public health measures, that soaring will level and start to come down. You add that to the help of a vaccine, we can turn this around. It is not futile.”

So how can you ensure your Thanksgiving doesn’t become a superspreader event?

“Keep activities low and slow,” said Maplewood Public Health Officer Candice Davenport at Tuesday’s Township Committee meeting. In other words, slow down the number of interactions your household members have over the holidays, keep your gatherings outdoors as much as possible, and keep to a low number of people per gathering.

Most new cases in Maplewood (and South Orange) are coming from indoor social gatherings – especially when people are not wearing face coverings. Many are among people in the same household, “which speaks to how quickly COVID-19 can pass in an enclosed space,” Davenport said. “So if one person brings it home, it spreads throughout the entire family.”

Echoing the advice of many health experts, Davenport strongly advised people to limit Thanksgiving to only those in their household. This is particularly true if you have family members who are elderly or immuno-compromised.

“All of this is to prevent further spread of disease,” said Davenport. “This time asks that we all do our part to slow down the rate of infection in our community.”

If your child is coming home from college, make sure they follow the guidance issued from their school. Many colleges have urged or even mandated that students be tested before they go home. Also, take note of whether students are coming from locations with higher positivity rates, and also consider how much travel will be involved.

All students coming home should follow travel advisories to quarantine for 14 days upon return – meaning, no socializing with friends or anyone outside their household.

However, Davenport cautioned, don’t let test results give a false sense of security.

“Do not get tested to see if you can see your family this Thanksgiving,” she said. “In fact, if you are taking a test to see if you are negative [just] so that you can see your family…it is a moot point because a) you can get infected between now and then and b) that test is just the result on that day.”

Still, anyone who thinks they have come in contact with a suspected or positive case of COVID-19 should get tested 5-7 days from the last date of contact with the positive person, and consider not attending any gatherings two weeks from last date of exposure, said Davenport.

That might be easier said than done – testing has become more difficult in recent weeks, with supply not meeting demand and wait times for results increasing. (See more information on where to get tested in NJ here. Essex County has upcoming satellite testing sites here. See a list of local testing locations at the end of this article.)

If you will be hosting or attending a small gathering on Thanksgiving, here are some safety tips:

  • Stay outdoors whenever possible (in an open garage, or on a deck/patio with heaters).
  • If indoors, keep doors and windows open for ventilation. Put a fan in a window facing out.
  • Wear face coverings at indoor social gatherings, just as in public settings.
  • No gathering in large groups – keep it to no more than 10 people, as mandated by executive order.
  • Stand 6′ apart from those who are not in your household.
  • Don’t share utensils. Have one person serve food.
  • Provide hand sanitizer; encourage guests to wash hands frequently.

If all that seems like more trouble than it’s worth, consider other options for a safe holiday:

“I think this is going to be the hardest holiday [because] now is the time to show this very strange phenomenon, that ‘I love you, so I’m going to stay away.'” said Davenport. “For this year…we have to do our best to make the sacrifice…to protect the ones we love.”

Here is a PDF of testing locations from Maplewood:

Download (PDF, 116KB)

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]]> NJ Readies for Widespread Inoculations When Coronavirus Vaccine Arrives https://villagegreennj.com/health/nj-readies-for-widespread-inoculations-when-coronavirus-vaccine-arrives/ Mon, 05 Oct 2020 06:32:20 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=75644

This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under…

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This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

Click here for the original article, written by Lilo H. Stainton.

New Jersey has big plans for a potential coronavirus vaccine. State health officials said they hope to get 70% of residents inoculated within six months, have identified most of the funding needed and are crafting a strategy to prioritize distribution to those most at risk.

“Our goal, if I may, is pretty high,” Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli told lawmakers last month during a hearing on the new state budget, which took effect Oct. 1.

But many challenges remain. Persichilli and others warned there could be vaccine shortages, especially at first, and note additional dollars may be needed to pay clinicians to administer the injection. They said they are also working out details on storage, as the inoculations may require refrigeration, and ways to effectively track who gets immunized.

“We do not believe we’ll have enough vaccines in the very beginning to inoculate everyone who is identified as a priority population. So a lot of decision-making will be made around that allocation as well,” Persichilli testified before the Assembly Budget Committee. “We have the funding up to the point where you actually get the shot in the arm,” she added.

Persichilli told lawmakers the DOH has budgeted $6 million to hire additional staff to “manage and oversee” the COVID-19 response, including a “large-scale vaccination program” when the time comes. An internal task force, with nine subcommittees, meets regularly to discuss the plan, she said, and the department has identified potential distribution partners, including local and county-level public health agencies, pediatricians and pharmacies.

Clinical trials this fall

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a prominent White House adviser, told Gov. Phil Murphy during a recent Facebook Live conversation that he expects six drug companies — including New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson — to conduct advanced clinical trials this fall on vaccines they have developed. Fauci said the “best-case scenario” would be to have federal officials approve a product by the end of 2020, and he urged Americans to trust the scientific review involved.

If that timeline works, Fauci said, a COVID-19 vaccine could be available to limited groups — starting with health care workers and then other vulnerable populations — at the beginning of 2021. But it is unlikely to reach “the masses” until much later in the year, he said. If 75% to 80% of Americans were inoculated by late 2021, he said it would be a “really good accomplishment.”

Murphy has said repeatedly that New Jersey will also apply its own “rigorous” review process to any vaccine approved by federal officials, but state officials have declined to explain how that separate state-level screening would work.

“We don’t know yet what it will look like or when it will come, but that does not mean that the preparations on the ground are not being laid,” Murphy said of the vaccine on Sept. 23.

The DOH has also resisted sharing details publicly on its efforts for planning the distribution. Officials declined to say who was involved in the internal discussions or how the $6 million allocated for new staffing would be spent. A department representative said Friday that staff is reviewing an “interim playbook” on vaccines it recently received from the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and would share information on the state plan when there is a clear timeline for a product to be released.

The CDC’s playbook — a 57-page document issued in mid-September and posted online — is designed to help government agencies prepare to distribute the doses they will get from the federal government. Among other things, it urges officials to create an internal planning team, identify public and private partners, and develop flexible scenarios that can be scaled based on availability. It also urges officials to consider past experience with seasonal flu or other outbreaks but warns that COVID-19 requires a much larger response.

‘Many unknowns, unanswered questions’

“There are many unknowns and unanswered questions at this time. For example, it is not yet known which vaccines will be available, in what volumes, at what time, with what efficacy, and with what storage and handling requirements,” the playbook notes.

Dr. Ed Lifshitz, medical director of the DOH’s communicable disease service, agreed last month that there are “so many unknowns it’s very hard to make predictions about exactly what’s going to happen” with a vaccine. It must still be produced and distributed, he said, and full protection may require two doses. There are also questions about how much protection it will offer at first, he said.

“All of those things are going on at the same time, so it is going to be a process,” Lifshitz said at a media briefing Sept. 23. “It’s not going to be like, ‘Oh, OK, Dec. 1 or whatever date there’s a vaccine available, we’re done’” with other protection strategies. Fauci and Murphy also cautioned that traditional infection control measures — like wearing masks, washing hands and staying distant — will still be necessary for some time after a vaccine is available.

Murphy and Persichilli have indicated that for New Jersey, in addition to health care workers, priority groups for vaccination are likely to include elderly individuals and those with underlying medical conditions. They have also suggested communities of color may be an early focus, as data shows Black and Hispanic residents are more likely to be impacted by COVID-19 than their white neighbors. In all, close to 207,000 New Jerseyans have tested positive for the virus since March, including more than 14,300 confirmed deaths.

Persichilli told the Assembly panel that, to reach the goal of inoculating 70% of the population, the state must set up a system to administer, distribute and deliver enough shots to vaccinate between 5,000 and 6,000 people daily. However, if health officials worked seven days a week to inoculate 6,000 people daily they would cover fewer than 1.1 million people in six months — or roughly 12% of the state’s total population.

State epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan called the state’s vaccine preparations “an evolving work in progress,” at a media briefing late last month.

“There are a lot of assumptions about what will be available early on, versus what might be available subsequently,” she said Sept. 23. “With different planning assumptions, as far as recognizing that there might be limited amounts at the very beginning, that we have to be very mindful of priority groups where we can really make a huge difference for the public health impact of those vaccines.”

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]]> South Orange COVID-19 Cases Rise to 38; Mayor Urges Residents to Wear Masks in Public https://villagegreennj.com/health/south-orange-covid-19-cases-rise-to-38-mayor-urges-residents-to-wear-masks-in-public/ Sun, 05 Apr 2020 15:52:37 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=71075

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]]> Maplewood Heath Dept: Be Smart About Antibiotic Use      https://villagegreennj.com/community/maplewood-heath-dept-smart-antibiotic-use/ Sat, 10 Dec 2016 15:52:41 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=35369

  From the Maplewood Health Department: In this season of colder temperatures and winter…

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From the Maplewood Health Department:

Candice Davenport of the Maplewood Health Dept.

Candice Davenport of the Maplewood Health Dept.

In this season of colder temperatures and winter colds, there is the common default to ask for antibiotics from our healthcare providers to get us back on track to our healthier selves. However, this practice of overusing antibiotics as a society may be doing more harm than good.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most pressing public health threats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is estimated that more than half of antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed to children by pediatricians for cough and cold illness, most of which are caused by viruses. An estimated 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths occur each year in the United States due to antibiotic-resistant infections. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are main drivers of antibiotic resistance.

Often called superbugs, some bacteria are already resistant to most or all known antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is not just a problem for the person with the infection. Some resistant bacteria have the potential to spread to others — promoting antibiotic-resistant infections.

The bottom line is that if we are not smarter about our consumption of antibiotics, the future of our children and other immunocompromised members of society may be at risk of aggressive bacterial infections that can no longer be treated with the limited spectrum of antibiotics that we have.

According to the CDC’s Get Smart campaign, here are six simple and smart facts about antibiotic use:

  1. Antibiotics are life-saving drugs. Using antibiotics wisely is the best way to preserve their strength for future bacterial illnesses.
  2. Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections, not viruses. If your child has a viral infection, it is recommended to use treatments like over the counter medicine, drink lots of water and get rest to alleviate symptoms.
  3. Some ear infections DO NOT require an antibiotic. Even some bacterial infections like mild sinus and ear infections can get better without antibiotics. The term, “watchful waiting” may be recommended by doctors; meaning waiting a few days to see if you get better before prescribing antibiotics.
  4. Also, most sore throats DO NOT require an antibiotic. Only 1 in 5 children seen by a doctor has strep throat, which should be treated with an antibiotic.
  5. Green colored mucus is NOT a sign that an antibiotic is needed. As the body’s immune system fights off an infection, mucus can change color. This is normal and does not mean an antibiotic is needed.
  6. There are potential risks when taking any prescription drug. Like any medication, antibiotics can cause complications ranging from upset stomach to serious allergic reactions.

Furthermore, the Maplewood Health Department would also encourage residents to do the following:

1. Keep up with vaccinations that can prevent diseases like pertussis or whooping cough and strep throat infections,

2. Wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs to yourself and to others, and

3. Practice good use: Take antibiotics as prescribed and throw leftover antibiotics away.

For more information, go to the CDC’s Get Smart campaign: www.cdc.gov/getsmart.

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