Seniors Can Contact Township for Help Getting Vaccine Appointments
Berkeley Heights seniors can sign up for vaccinations through the Township's dedicated senior citizen hotline. Senior residents should email their name, date of birth, contact number and address to seniors@bhtwp.com, or leave a voicemail at (908) 464-2700 ext. 2229. Please also leave your email address if you have one if leaving a voicemail message. Someone will respond within 48 hours. It would be helpful to also indicate how far you or your driver are willing to drive to get the vaccine. Most available bookings are at Rockaway Center Mall in Morris County, Morristown and the Summit Community Center in Summit. At all of these locations, seniors will have their second dose scheduled before they leave the vaccination site. Additional vaccination locations are also becoming more available as supply of available vaccine doses increases.
If you are a senior citizen and would like to sign up for Township robocalls with COVID and other senior-specific and/or Township-specific information, please email seniors@bhtwp.com or call the clerk's office at (9082) 464-2700 x. 2114. All other BH residents can sign up for Town-wide robocalls at https://www.berkeleyheights.gov/list.aspx..
Union County Vaccine Hotline
In order to better assist seniors 65 years of age and older, and those who may not have internet access, the Union County Board of County Commissioners has a COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center for residents to schedule an appointment. The Union County COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center will also work to answer questions from residents who need more information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, and can also help arrange transportation if necessary for residents with a confirmed vaccination appointment.
The phone number is 908-613-7VAX (7829), and the hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Within the hotline system, there will be tailored assistance for:
- Seniors over 65 years of age;
- Those in the 18-64 age range with qualifying medical conditions who may lack internet access;
- Residents who need assistance in Spanish;
- Residents who may need assistance with transportation to and from vaccination sites
Those currently eligible to receive the vaccination are individuals ages 65 and older, persons 18-64 with high-risk medical conditions, uniformed police officers, firefighters, health care workers and others identified in Group 1A.
Those wishing to make an appointment online for the Union County Vaccination center may also do so at www.ucnj.org
Union County COVID-19 Test Center Announces New Hours
The Union County COVID-19 Drive-Thru Test Center at Kean University is changing its operating hours to Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Anyone who has an appointment for those days will have their appointment honored during these hours. Persons who cannot make the new hours must reschedule through the web at www. ucnj.org.
From the State
The state COVID hotline 855-568-0545 continues to assist residents, with live agents from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in getting information on how to register, as well as how to schedule vaccine appointments as people become eligible. The agents remind residents that there is no out of pocket expense to get vaccinated and that the two vaccines are not interchangeable. The state continues to encourage the general public to pre-register for eligibility for the vaccine online. Individuals will be permitted to input their personal, contact, health insurance, and demographic information. Those who are immediately eligible based on screening questions will be able to schedule an appointment.
As always, we will provide more information as it becomes available. If you would like to sign up for Mayor Devanney's robocalls with COVID and other senior-specific information, please email seniors@bhtwp.com or leave your name and phone number at the Senior hotline above and we will add you to the list.