According to Governor Phil Murphy, the intake of smokers in New Jersey among people with eligible medical conditions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is based on science, not politics.
The Democrat governor took to Twitter Friday to respond to critics of state policy that allows smokers aged 16-64 to obtain the vaccine before the general population.
“Our first priority should be to vaccinate people who are at higher risk because of age or other health factors that make them more vulnerable to severe COVID,” Murphy tweeted. “This is a respiratory virus. Our goal is to save every possible life through facts and science. Smoking puts a person at higher risk for a more serious case of COVID. In this we agree with @CDCgov guidelines.”
Murphy said he understood what it seemed like for some people to have smokers get the vaccine before non-smokers.
“I understand the view here, and that attacking people who have a habit of smoking and who are now addicted may be politically appropriate,” he tweeted. “We are stuck in a position where we must prioritize our limited vaccine doses based on medical facts and not political needs.”
Some public health experts have argued that smoking should not be a reason for early vaccination, according to the Washington Examiner.
“This wouldn’t be a high priority group,” Eric Topol, a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, told The Washington Post. ‘I don’t think smoking alone is enough.
Some groups, such as teachers, who were not eligible for prioritization were shocked by the decision.
“A lot of people were just blown away by that decision,” said Nick Zaneto, a teacher and coach at Metuchen High School. “It is not a medical condition that you smoke. You make a personal choice to vaporize or smoke cigarettes. [teachers], we try to teach our students to stay away from bad habits like smoking, and this almost seems like a reward for those individuals. “
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