TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Just over half of the staff at New Jersey’s long-term care facilities have gotten COVID-19 vaccinations, compared with 84% of residents, the state’s top health official said Wednesday.
Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said during a news conference with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in Trenton that about 56% of the staff at the state’s almost 400 nursing homes and long-term care facilities have gotten vaccinated, she said.
Persichilli said some staff members from such facilities come from ethnic groups in which concerns have been raised over vaccines, and a number of younger staffers have also gotten misleading information online that wrongly suggested certain vaccines could impact fertility.
“We have a lot of education to do,” she said. “I think we will get those percentages up. it’s imperative that we do.”
The number of new cases over the past two weeks in New Jersey is down 25%. Murphy has cited the positive trend as a rationale for further reopening of the state’s economy, including weddings, proms and outdoor gathering.
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