Gov. Murphy got his COVID booster shot and says you should too – nj.com

Gov. Phil Murphy received his coronavirus vaccine booster shot Sunday at the Monmouth Medical Center and encouraged other adult residents to get their shots as concerns mount over a new coronavirus variant and rising case numbers.

Murphy, 63, now joins more than 1.23 million people in New Jersey who have received third doses or boosters.

The governor, who recently returned from a three-night Thanksgiving trip to Orlando with his family, also posted photos on social media of his wife, First Lady Tammy Murphy, getting her booster shot and his family holding up their vaccine cards.

Murphy and his wife received their first coronavirus vaccine doses in April as they toured one of the states six vaccine mega-sites in Atlantic City. The couple both received the Pfizer vaccination.

On Sunday, they each received a third dose of the Pfizer vaccination.

Officials are encouraging everyone 18 and older in New Jersey who has received their second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines six months ago or longer to get a booster shot. Thats after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this month that it opened booster shot eligibility to all adults.

Anyone 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was already eligible for a booster two months after the single shot.

More than 6.17 million people who live, work or study in New Jersey a state of about 9.2 million residents have now been fully vaccinated. More than 8 million people in the state have received at least one dose, and more than 1.23 million people have received third doses or boosters.

As of Monday, at least 87,500 children between the ages of 5 and 11 in New Jersey have received vaccine doses since federal authorities approved the Pfizer shots for that age group two weeks ago, according to the state.

Officials are urging all eligible residents receive a vaccine if they have not already, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise and holiday travel picks up.

On Sunday, New Jersey reported another 1,599 cases and an additional four deaths. The states seven-day average for new positive tests increased to 1,809, up 10% from a week ago and up 58% from a month ago.

In all, New Jersey, has reported 1,082,586 total confirmed cases out of more than 16 million PCR tests conducted since it announced its first case March 4, 2020. There have also been more than 164,627 positive antigen or rapid tests, which are considered probable cases.

The state of 9.2 million people has reported 28,250 have died from complications related to COVID-19 25,516 confirmed and 2,823 considered probable.

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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @JacqueRoman.

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Gov. Murphy got his COVID booster shot and says you should too - nj.com