The Camden County Board of Commissioners, in partnership with Cooper University Health Care and the Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing, opened phase one of the Camden County Health Hub on Thursday, Oct. 14.
The first phase is administering first doses, second doses of Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It also includes booster doses of Pfizer for eligible members of the population and third doses of both Moderna and Pfizer. Phase two will encompass COVID testing and other amenities starting on Nov. 1.
This new one-stop shop for COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, and third doses, along with several other amenities, is located at the Camden County College-Blackwood Campus.
The site will be operated in the parking lot on campus utilizing pop-up clinical pods as residents are seen from their cars. The convenience and accessibility for the public to clinicians and vaccines will be unlike any other service provided in the region. Depending on the patient’s need, public health professionals will have multiple drive-thru lines for residents to use regarding their purpose for the visit at the new outdoor complex.
“For all of the outstanding work our public health team did last spring, vaccinating more than 100,000 people, the pandemic is not over and continues to evolve,” Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “In our fight against Delta, and to ensure that boosters can get out into the community to aid front line workers, the immunocompromised and senior citizens, this hub will provide everything in one place. I also want to thank our healthcare team- this is the perfect example of a public-private partnership delivering an essential service for the people of Camden County.”
In addition to providing vaccines for the general population, the commissioners will also be preparing for another cohort of residents — children 5 years old and up — who will become eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in the coming weeks after FDA approval is granted. This cross-section of the population will also drive demand for more first doses of the vaccines as well. Nevertheless, at the current time the only booster available to the public is Pfizer, which can only be given to recipients who have had their first two doses.
The operational hours for phase one of the health hub are Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and again on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. These days and times are subject to change based on the demand from the community. Individuals can register for an appointment at www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com and vaccinations and COVID testing are being distributed by appointment only.
