COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Vaccinations (Ages 50+) Offered Through VNACJ Community Health Center

Email Township to Pre-Register For Vaccination Appointment at covid19@middletownnj.org 

Middletown Township has partnered with the VNACJ Community Health Center to offer COVID-19 vaccines to Middletown residents ages 50 or older. The Township is scheduling pre-registration appointments - no vaccines will be given at this appointment.  In order to sign up for a pre-registration appointment, please email covid19@middletownnj.org or call 732-615-3228 (if you don't have computer access). Please only contact the Township one time. All messages will be returned in the order in which they were received. Walk-in appointments will not be available.  

For residents 60+ who need travel assistance for their vaccination appointment, please call Monmouth County SCAT at 732-431-6480. Someone is available Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 4:30pm to assist with calls. If for any reason more assistance is needed to make travel arrangements, please call Kourtney Davis at 732-615-2000, x2266.

The Middletown Health Department compiled COVID vaccine information from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJ DOH) to help residents navigate this process. Click HERE for eligibility information and ways to get vaccinated.

Updated Travel Quarantine Guidelines from NJDOH (4/5/21)

Please find updated information below from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) related to travel quarantine:

Consistent with CDC's recommendations, the NJDOH has updated guidance for fully vaccinated persons as it relates to travel. Fully vaccinated persons should get tested 3-5 days after returning to the United States from international travel, but no quarantine following travel or test before travel (unless required by the destination) is needed. For domestic travel within the U.S., no quarantine or test before or after travel is needed for fully vaccinated travelers.

Travel recommendations for persons recently recovered from COVID-19 have also been updated. Similar to fully vaccinated travelers, persons who clinically recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months do not need to quarantine after travel. In addition, they do not need to be tested before or after travel, domestic or international.

All travelers should continue to wear a mask while traveling, stay 6 feet from others and avoid crowds, wash hands often or use hand sanitizer, self-monitor for symptoms during and after travel, and self-isolate should symptoms develop.

For unvaccinated travelers, or travelers who have not recently recovered from COVID-19, the self-quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected.

Updated Documents:

• Current Restrictions on Travel
• Recommended Minimum Quarantine Timeframes
• Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Persons in Non-Healthcare Settings

Recent Updates on the NJDOH's COVID-19 Vaccine Page:

General Information - Infographics

• COVID-19: Are You Fully Vaccinated? [English]

Click here for the NJDOH's guidelines for fully-vaccinated people in non-healthcare settings. 

Monmouth County Vaccine Clinics

Click HERE for a link to the current Monmouth County vaccine clinic list. The County is posting a certain amount of appointments directly on its website and they will be scheduling the rest of their existing waitlist.

New Jersey Call Center for Seniors 

New Jersey has created a call center for seniors who do not have computer access or email to register for the COVID-19 vaccine: 855-568-0545. 

Contact Tracing Information

What is Contact Tracing?

Contact tracing is a public health tool used to identify those who come into contact with people who have tested positive for many infectious diseases – such as measles, tuberculosis, STDs. Contact tracing is a public health activity that involves working with a person who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease (case) to identify and provide support to people (contacts) who may have been infected through exposure to the case. 

Where can I get more information about contact tracing in NJ? 

For more information about contact tracing, what it is and why it is an important public health disease prevention tool, go to: covid19.nj.gov/testandtrace

What types of questions will public health contact tracers ask? 

A public health contact tracer will most likely call to advise persons that they may be a contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 (case). The contact tracers will not identify the name of the case but will advise contacts about their potential exposure and might recommend testing.

Public health contact tracers will ask contacts about symptoms that may be COVID-19 related. They will ask about locations that the contact might have visited over the last few days, and if anyone living with the contact with was tested for COVID-19 or has symptoms. A contact tracer will never ask for information such as your social security number or bank account information. 

How did the public health contact tracers get my name and contact info/phone number? 

A public health contact tracer should provide their name and why they are calling. More than likely, your name and phone number were given to them by a person who tested positive for COVID-19 (case). Public health contact tracers are calling individuals (contacts) to let them know that they had close contact with a person who has COVID-19 (case). They will not tell you the case’s name. They will only tell you that you were in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

A public health contact tracer will contact you first by phone. If they are unable to get a hold of you, they may come to your home. Remember, the contact tracer’s job is to provide education, information, and support to individuals so they understand their risk, what they should do to separate themselves from others who are not exposed, monitor themselves for illness, and the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they themselves do not feel ill.

What should I do if I am called by a public health contact tracer? 

Speak with the contact tracer. The reason you have been called is because you may have come into contact with an individual confirmed to have COVID-19 (case). The role of the public health contact tracer is to advise potential contacts about their risk for COVID-19 and provide recommendations about actions they can do to protect themselves and their community. 

If I am a confirmed “case” (tested positive for COVID-19) and I receive a call from the public health tracer, what types of questions will they ask me? 

A public health contact tracer will work with cases to identify "close contacts" (anyone who was within six feet for more than 10 minutes starting two days before symptoms began). If a case doesn’t have symptoms, the public health contact tracer will ask about activity during the two days before their COVID-19 diagnosis. They will also ask for the phone numbers of anyone who meets the criteria for a close contact so they can be notified. Your identity is kept anonymous and your information confidential. Potential contacts will NOT be told the name of the case. A contact tracer will never ask for information such as your social security number, bank account or credit card information or insurance information. 

What will the public health contact tracer do with my medical information? 

The public health contact tracer will not reveal your identity to individuals who you identify as contacts. Public health contact tracers take privacy and confidentiality seriously. Your personal health information is not shared outside of the public health investigation. Sharing the names and contact information of persons who are close contacts, with the public health contact tracer is an important way you can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

I have heard about scammers posing as public health contact tracers. How do I know if they are really contact tracers and not scammers? 

The call would come from a person legitimately working with a local health department. The contact tracer will provide follow-up resources and assure the person of their privacy. A contact tracer will never ask for information such as your social security number, bank account or credit card, or insurance information.

Hoax text messages regarding contact tracing are also circulating in NJ. This is a scam designed to steal your personal information. Never click on links in messages (texts or emails) from people you do not know.