Here's where NJ residents 50 and older can now get second COVID vaccine booster shots

President Joe Biden got his. Gov. Phil Murphy and Tammy Murphy, the first lady, plan to get theirs.

Second booster shots for COVID-19 are available in New Jersey and recommended for those age 50 and older. The state says it has ample supplies.

Appointments can be made at hundreds of pharmacies and other sites around the state. Walk-ins are also welcome at mobile vaccination clinics and some pharmacies, health departments and public vaccine sites, such as the megasites in Burlington and Gloucester counties.

To find a vaccination location, go to covid19.nj.gov/finder. Most people have access to a shot within a few miles of their homes.

Although community levels of COVID-19 are low in every county in New Jersey, officials are keeping a wary eye on the rise in COVID cases caused by a subvariant known as BA.2 in New Jersey, New York and the rest of the Northeast. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assesses community levels based on the number of cases, the number of hospital admissions and the availability of hospital beds.

The subvariant has caused a surge in cases in Great Britain and some other European countries, and is now dominant in New Jersey and New York.

"Our numbers over the past few days have started to creep up again," Murphy said Wednesday in a Facebook Live chat with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. The transmission rate, a barometer of how many people are infected by a single contagious individual, reached 1.01 on Wednesday, an indicator that the long decline in new cases has stopped, and that an infected person is likely to infect one other person.

But, Murphy said, "don't panic. … The bad news is, it’s really transmissible. The good news is, it’s not terribly dangerous." The number of patients hospitalized with COVID — 331 on Thursday — is continuing its downward trend. Murphy urged people to take proven steps to limit the spread of the virus, such as getting vaccinated and boosted.

"Tammy and I are going to go out and get our second boosters," he said. That was before he tested positive for COVID on Thursday afternoon. Murphy had no symptoms and felt well, but he canceled public appearances and planned to isolate.

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The federal Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized second boosters of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for those age 50 and older, and others over age 12 who are immune-compromised. Eligible individuals who completed the full series — two initial doses and a booster — from either Pfizer or Moderna at least four months ago are encouraged to get the second booster.

Those over 50 who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a booster at least four months ago also are encouraged to get a Pfizer or Moderna booster.

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"This is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director. "They are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time." The agency is evaluating whether to recommend an additional booster for those younger than 50, she said.

Long-term care facilities "are to work with their pharmacy partners to follow the CDC recommendations and ensure that their residents receive all vaccinations when eligible," said a spokeswoman for the state Health Department. .

At the Bergen County vaccination site Thursday, the number of people seeking a vaccine was higher than usual. The site at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus began offering second booster shots on Wednesday. It is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., "but if we see a community need, we will expand those dates and times," said Donnalee Corrieri, a spokeswoman.

While nearly three-quarters of New Jersey's population has been fully vaccinated against COVID, acceptance of boosters has been slower.

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Currently, 6.6 million people in New Jersey have been fully vaccinated, meaning they have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the CDC. However, fewer than half of those — 46.3%, or 3 million people — have received a booster shot.

Even as the second booster shot was recommended for older and immune-compromised individuals, authorities continue to urge those over age 12 who haven't received the first booster to get one.

"An initial booster dose is critical in helping to protect all adults from the potentially severe outcomes of COVID-19," said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Health experts are concerned about a reduction in immunity in people who received their booster shots last fall. Studies have shown "some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals," Marks said. A second booster "could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals.”

Although no long-term studies have been done about additional boosters, the FDA said in its announcement, "Emerging evidence suggests that a second booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe COVID-19 and is not associated with new safety concerns."

Lindy Washburn is a senior health care reporter for NorthJersey.com. To keep up-to-date about how changes in health care affect you and your family, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: washburn@northjersey.com

Twitter: @lindywa

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Where to get second booster shot near me: NJ vaccine locations