New Jersey's COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers include only one booster dose and not a second one, Gov. Phil Murphy said April 13.
The governor provided the clarification via an executive order announced days after New Jersey's April 11 booster deadline.
Healthcare workers are considered up to date with vaccinations against the virus if they have received a primary vaccination dose and a booster dose for which they are eligible, according to a news release from the governor's office.
"Even though it is not required, I encourage New Jerseyans who the CDC has advised would benefit from their second booster to roll up their sleeves and give themselves an added dose of defense against COVID-19, like I did [April 12]," Mr. Murphy said in the news release. "The numbers here in New Jersey and from around the nation are clear — getting boosted is directly linked to less-severe COVID-19 symptoms and illness and far lower rates of hospitalization and death."
Mr. Murphy's office announced March 2 that the state would move the initial Feb. 28 booster vaccination deadline for healthcare workers to April 11 or within three weeks of eligibility, whichever is later. The move came after the New Jersey Hospital Association asked the governor for a 90-day extension, citing a need to increase the number of staff who are up to date on their vaccinations.