Essex County, NJ Seeks Volunteers To Staff Vaccine Sites

Essex County officials say they're looking for volunteers to help staff four county vaccination sites. They need nurses to administer vaccine doses and non-medical volunteers who can help screen and register residents prioritized for vaccines.

Though health care workers have priority, volunteers who staff vaccination sites can jump to the front of the line — even if they don't work in a health care setting professionally. A spokeswoman with the state Department of Health said anyone who staffs a vaccination site will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. 

So far, 1,000 volunteers have shown interest in Essex County. Other counties told WNYC they've also put a call out for volunteers as they get ready to open up inoculation centers. 

Essex County is administering about 700 Moderna vaccines a day, which can be stored in a regular freezer unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which needs ultra-cold storage. 62,000 vaccines have already been administered across the state. 

Anyone interested in volunteering in Essex County can email vaccinehelp@admin.essexcountynj.org.