EDISON, N.J. – Before 2020 was even over, New Jersey began vaccinating prisoners before most nursing home patients – the most vulnerable potential COVID-19 victims – had received their initial doses.
Some of America’s heroes in hard-hit veterans homes (one of which is the subject of a grand jury investigation) don’t appear to be getting the same level of urgency.
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On January 5th, a full week after prisoners began receiving their vaccinations, the State of New Jersey celebrated residents of the Menlo Park state-run veterans home receiving their initial shots:
Residents and staff at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park, Edison, N.J., received the COVID-19 vaccination Jan. 5, 2021. These are the first vaccinations administered at the Home under the Federal Pharmacy Program. pic.twitter.com/xit3gULLk2
— NJ DMAVA (@NJDMAVA) January 6, 2021
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63 veterans have died at the Menlo Park facility since the pandemic began.
Despite the existence of 1A individuals still in need of vaccination, the state has begun vaccinating more “1B” individuals like firefighters and police most of whom are younger, healthy, and not at high risk for hospitalization.
Meanwhile, the Murphy Administration continues to duck questions from the handle of media members willing to question its policies. Among the reporters asking serious questions is News12 anchor Kurt Siegelin:
CT's got about a 1/5th of NJ's number of LTC residents and staff.
As of today NJ's vaccinated 8k LTC residents & staff. https://t.co/EhXWkrL5V8
— Kurt Siegelin (@kurtsiegelin) January 4, 2021
These veterans were not only the last at the 3 NJ homes to get the shot, they got it a day late.
And… a full week after NJ prisoners started getting shots. Any comment @mbzhad? You owning that fact yet? https://t.co/DSnItpOXsZ
— Kurt Siegelin (@kurtsiegelin) January 6, 2021
Deflection continues… https://t.co/IzOw38YwQD
— Kurt Siegelin (@kurtsiegelin) January 6, 2021
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“Many other states have dynamically shifted priorities to make the vaccine available to seniors. Priority vaccinating those most at risk of death seems like a wise move. We need to be prioritizing our elderly and sick population. Doctors should have discretion to vaccinate at-risk seniors now, not when we finally get to Phase 1C, potentially months from now,” said state Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) on Wednesday. “Everyone is up in arms about prisoners being vaccinated in tier 1A here in New Jersey. I’m not reducing concern for their humanity because they are prisoners, but just like other populations, we’ve got to prioritize older, sicker people. Until they are done and frontline workers are done, we cannot prioritize younger, healthy convicts over our other vulnerable populations.”
New Jersey has still only distributed approximately 1/3 of the doses currently in its possession.
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