Cooper University Health Care is set to open Camden County's first neighborhood-based COVID-19 vaccination center Saturday in the Cramer Hill section of Camden.
The vaccination and education center will be run at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center. The site will be open for vaccination appointments for Camden residents only.
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Cramer Hill makes up 38% of Camden's population, yet accounts for 44% of the city's COVID-19 cases. Camden has been the county's hardest hit area throughout the pandemic.
The Kroc Center is located at 1865 Harrison Ave. All vaccinations will be by appointment based on New Jersey's state prioritization categories. Eligible Camden residents can schedule an appointment online or by calling (856) 225-6141.
New Jersey has opened eligibility to health care workers, long-term care residents and staffers, first responders, seniors and people with high risk medical conditions.
The vaccine and education center initially will be open Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Operating hours will expand as more vaccine supplies become available.
At the outset, the center aims to vaccinate 500 people per day.
Multilingual staff will be available to coordinate appointments and provide information about the vaccine.
"Expanding our vaccination efforts to neighborhood based institutions like the Kroc Center are critical to reaching and vaccinating everyone in our community," Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. "Working with our partners at Cooper, we believe opening this clinic will provide us with a strong vehicle to deliver this important vaccine. Ultimately, this vaccine is a beginning to the end of this pandemic and we want to ensure it gets into the hands of every Camden resident."
Disclosure: PhillyVoice Founder and Chairwoman Lexie Norcross sits on the Cooper Foundation board of trustees. Her father is George E. Norcross III, chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Health System.