Vineland, N.J. chosen to host COVID-19 vaccination site
VINELAND, N.J. - New Jersey is looking to level the playing field when it comes to vaccine availability, by partnering with the federal government to open sites. One of the cities chosen to host a site is Vineland, in Cumberland County.
"And, fortunately the state heard our cries and FEMA heard our cries and they came through for us on this one," Vineland, New Jersey Mayor Anthony Fanucci remarked.
Anthony Fanucci’s been telling Trenton and Washington for a year they were looking for COVID help. Now the Vineland mayor is getting some in the form of a state-led injection site.
"But, it looks like sometime around the beginning of March that we’re going to have this site open and active. It’ll be running for approximately two weeks. We’re looking at about over 250 doses a day," Mayor Fanucci elaborated.
Location is undecided, but Fanucci says it’ll likely be at a church on town or at the old Amish Market on Landis Avenue, where the city does about 500 doses a week. They weren’t open Tuesday.
"Did you try to get vaccinated?" asked FOX 29’s Hank Flynn.
"We tried probably four or five times on the website to get an appointment. Nothing helped," said one resident.
At least he’s trying. At least four people on the street in Vineland FOX 29 talked with haven’t been vaccinated and don’t care to get it, including one man who said he’d had it, but thought it was radiation poisoning. The mayor says it’s an uphill battle.
"We have an older population that don’t believe in vaccines in some cases and we have a very diverse population whose backgrounds don’t always warrant for that. But, I think people are becoming more educated on this and how real it has become," Mayor Fanucci explained.
In some ways. Sharonda Harris-Bunton owns Vegans Are Us across from the city’s injection site. Business has picked up for her in the pandemic, she says, because people want healthier choices. But, she says some locals are skeptical of the virus and the vaccine.
"Because they don’t have that much information. It just like, appeared. I think they’re like, ‘Eh, nothing happened. I’m not going to get it. I’m good.’ That’s why people are acting the way they are towards the vaccine," Harris-Bunton remarked.
For those who wish to get more information regarding the Vineland vaccination site and to register, call the Vineland Health Department COVID hotline beginning February 17 in the afternoon at 856-405-4603.
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect that these are state-led vaccination sites and not FEMA-run sites.
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