Municipal COVID-19 vaccination clinics placed on hold due to vaccine shortage

Due to the COVID-19 vaccine shortage, vaccination clinics held by the Princeton Health Department and other local health departments in Mercer County have been placed on hold by the state, effective Feb. 13.

The state will no longer supply vaccines to municipal clinics in Mercer County due to the vaccine shortage, local officials said. Once the vaccine supply increases, local clinics will be scheduled for people who would have trouble getting vaccinations at larger regional sites, officials said.

Mercer County is running two vaccination clinics at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor and the CURE Arena in Trenton. You can’t get an appointment by calling the college or the arena. All appointments are made through the state’s vaccine scheduling system. You must pre-register via the state’s online scheduling system. You will receive email updates and will get an email when it is your turn to schedule your appointment.

According to the Princeton Health Department, the separate waitlist Princeton and other municipalities in the county maintained for people wanting a vaccine will continue to be used to identify people for county-level vaccine clinics. Officials said eligible residents who have already pre-registered with the municipality will continue to be offered appointments and then be scheduled into available slots at one of the two county vaccination sites.

Officials said people on the Princeton waitlist should expect that it could take weeks or more to vaccinate everyone currently on the waitlist. New additions to the waitlist are currently not being accepted. Officials said the selection from waitlists will prioritize the oldest residents and those residents who are unable to navigate larger venues. Residents who are able to travel to other sites throughout the state should check the list of vaccine sites throughout the state and reach out to vaccination sites with portals to register for appointments, local officials said.