On Saturday, Feb. 6, CentraState Hospital held a vaccination event for Freehold Township educators and staff. It was the second of three events the hospital is holding for Freehold Township, Freehold Regional, and Freehold Boro school districts.
The impetus of the vaccination events was a phone call from CentraState Community Development Director Jay Robinson. Since the hospital had extra dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine, Robinson reached out to school superintendents in Freehold to offer to vaccinate school staff.
“We are thrilled that CentraState has made our members a priority in vaccination distribution,” said Denise King, president of Monmouth County Education Association. “However, we won’t be satisfied until every member in Monmouth County has that same opportunity.” King and her county leadership have been working with legislators and their County Superintendent to increase vaccine accessibility for their members. “Right now, there is a shortage of vaccines, but we are still reaching out to other Monmouth County hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies to hold additional vaccination events for the county’s teachers and educational support staff in other school districts.”
At King’s urging, LD-11 State Senator Vin Gopal has called on Monmouth County hospitals and the Department of Health to replicate these vaccination events for other Monmouth County education staff with a target of late February or early March when vaccines are more readily available. LD-11 Assembly members JoAnn Downey and Eric Houghtaling stopped by the Feb. 6 event to thank healthcare workers and Freehold Township staff who were getting vaccinated.
