The following information was sent out by the New Jersey Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental Disabilities on January 14, 2021, and appears unedited below. Please note that The Arc of New Jersey is NOT the author of this information. We are only forwarding it as a service to individuals and families who may not be on the Division's subscription list.
Hello Division Constituents and Community Partners,
 
We are pleased to share that effective immediately the New Jersey Department of Health has expanded its list of individuals who are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine, as follows:
 
  • Residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and staff in congregate residential settings (group homes and supervised apartments) are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1A. Please review the information on Who is eligible for vaccination in New Jersey?
  • Both (a) individuals aged 65 and older, and (b) individuals ages 16-64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
 
Residential providers may begin scheduling vaccine appointments for residents. Individuals who fall into other eligible groups described above, or their caregivers, can also begin scheduling their appointments. Please review Where, how, and when can I get vaccinated? for registration and scheduling information.
 
Information about vaccine options for healthcare workers, including IDD direct support professionals and self-directed employees, was distributed previously by the Division and is available on the NJ Department of Human Services COVID-19 Information Hub.
 
It is important to remember that, at this time, the national and state vaccine supplies remain limited. As with other vaccinations, providers must obtain informed consent from residents or their guardian(s). To assist in this, individuals or their guardian(s) should be encouraged to review the Emergency Use Authorization Fact Sheets for the currently available vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.  Please see COVID-19 Vaccine Locations for Eligible Recipients for a frequently-updated list of available vaccine sites.
 
We also want to call your attention to new COVID-19 Vaccine Educational Resources developed by The Boggs Center to assist people with IDD to better understand the COVID-19 vaccine and what to expect during the vaccine appointment.
 
We appreciate your support, patience and advocacy during this unprecedented vaccine campaign. If you have other questions about COVID-19 vaccines in New Jersey, please visit COVID-19 Vaccine.
 
Thank you.
 
Jonathan Seifried
Assistant Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities
Visit The Arc COVID-19 Updates & Information Web Site

During these extraordinary times, we at The Arc of New Jersey are working diligently to provide support, answers, and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the community. Please know that our staff is working, some remotely, and will try to help in any way they can. Please call or email us as needed, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Don't forget that valuable information can be accessed through our fact sheets and recorded webinars which you can find here and here. Also, be sure to check our COVID-19 Updates & Information page for news and resources impacting people with I/DD during this time. This is a challenging period, but our organization is here to support you as best we can in the days and weeks ahead. You can also click here to download our new infographic detailing the services we offer.
You are encouraged to share this information with others who may also be interested. However, please delete the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email if you are forwarding this. If you do not remove the "unsubscribe" option and a person who receives your forwarded email clicks "unsubscribe," it would result in your name being removed from our distribution list. 
The Arc of NJ | 732.246.2525 | advocacy@arcnj.org | www.arcnj.org