Democratic New Jersey government Phil Murphy defended the state’s eligibility requirements for the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, telling CNBC that it is necessary to prioritize those with pre-existing medical conditions, including smokers.
In an interview on “Squawk Box,” Murphy explained that the state is focused on using the available vaccines for two different groups. The first, he said, are those needed “to help defeat the virus,” such as health professionals and first responders. The second are individuals who are at higher risk of serious illness or death if they get Covid, he said.
‘This is not speculation. This is based on the data, on the facts. Who got sick? Who has been hospitalized? Who have we lost? ‘ Murphy said.
The second group includes New Jersey residents aged 65 and over, as well as individuals aged 16-64 with a qualifying medical condition, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, various heart conditions, and smoking.
Teachers in New Jersey are not yet eligible as a whole group, but Murphy is under increasing pressure to make teachers and school district staff eligible for the vaccine. Lawyers believe it is important that they get the life-saving admission to make in-person lessons safer.
“It’s a wrong choice to compare smokers to anyone else,” Murphy told CNBC. “Anyone under 65 who is most vulnerable, even if you are an essential worker, an educator, you are now eligible.”
The list of medical conditions in New Jersey that make someone eligible for the vaccine closely follows a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of conditions that increase a person’s risk of developing serious cases of Covid.
Teachers as a group are “ in the circle on deck, ” Murphy said, with a baseball phrase to describe standing next to bat. “I hope we get to the teachers sooner rather than later.”
Some states, such as Maryland, Illinois and Arizona, have expanded admission to teachers, according to EdWeek, a news organization dedicated to K-12 education.
According to data from the CDC, New Jersey has administered approximately 1.1 million doses of vaccine as of Tuesday afternoon. The US has administered a total of 43.2 million doses, data from the CDC shows.
While Murphy expressed optimism about the Biden administration’s vaccination efforts, he said New Jersey still sees more demand for the injections than there are currently available doses.
“You have a huge imbalance between supply and demand,” he said. But he added, “The Biden team is doing an extraordinary job and I’m confident they will deliver. It won’t be overnight, but we’ll get this.”