First Lady Tammy Murphy visits the Henry J. Austin Health Center vaccination site in Trenton on January 7, 2020. (Edwin J. Torres for the NJ Governor’s Office)
New data from the Ocean County Health Department shows the major impact vaccinations are having in reducing the spread of Covid-19, the coronavirus infection, with an overwhelming majority of newly-reported cases affecting the unvaccinated.
Last week, Shorebeat reported that two Ocean County municipalities – Lakewood and Lacey townships – had yet to reach a benchmark 70 percent vaccination rate. Those towns still lag, however Brick and Jackson, two of the three towns most affected by the pandemic since March 2020, have surpassed that level.
Ocean County Commissioner Gerry Little, liaison to the health department, said staff produced new numbers prior to a meeting held Tuesday. In all, among people who have been vaccinated, there have been 1,912 confirmed breakthrough cases, including 174 in the last week. But this pales in comparison with the number of infections reported over the last day alone among the unvaccinated. Over the past 24 hours, there were 185 newly-reported cases, and over the past week, it has been determined that 87 percent of these cases affected those who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19. Even among the 13 percent of new cases that were among those vaccinated, the vast majority were mild.
“The good news is that people, though they may get infected after being fully vaccinated, will generally see the illness is not as severe,” said Little.
There are currently seven hospitalizations in Ocean County due to coronavirus outbreaks.
Meanwhile, for those who have yet to receive their vaccinations, the health department has re-established its vaccine clinic at Toms River High School North, 1245 Old Freehold Rd, Toms River, where it is also preparing to begin administering booster shots come Sept. 20. The clinic is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout September from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents can simply walk-in; no pre-registration is required. Vaccines are free for all residents, with or without identification.
