On Thursday, April 29, AARP New Jersey hosted a toll-free Telephone Town Hall about the COVID-19 vaccines, distribution in New Jersey, and how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting the Hispanic and Latino community.

We spoke with Dr. Gina Miranda-Diaz, a New Jersey licensed health officer and former director of two health departments in the state, and Katie York, AARP New Jersey’s Associate State Director of Advocacy, who took questions from the audience.

You can listen to the recording here.

On Thursday, April 29 at 10 a.m. ET, AARP New Jersey hosted this statewide Telephone Town Hall to discuss COVID-19 vaccine scams. This event featured Kaitlin Caruso, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, who explained how scammers are taking established scams like the romance scam or grandparent scam, and adapting them to fit into the COVID context. She also provided information on red flags to look out for, how to protect yourself, and how to report fraudulent activity and scams in the state of New Jersey.

You can listen to the recording here.

On Wednesday, April 21, AARP NJ hosted a toll-free Telephone Town Hall about the COVID-19 vaccines, distribution in New Jersey, and how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting the African American/Black community.

We spoke with Dr. Philip Woodham, Internal Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center and Chief Medical Officer of the Hackensack Physician Alliance ACO, Dr. Jubril Oyeyemi, Medical Director at the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers and Founder & Chief Medical Officer of the Cherry Hill Free Clinic, and AARP NJ’s Katie York, who took questions from the audience.

Listen to the recording here.

On Tuesday, April 20, AARP New Jersey hosted a toll-free Telephone Town Hall about the COVID-19 vaccines, distribution in New Jersey, and how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting the Asian community.

We spoke with Dr. Frances Wu, a board-certified family medicine physician with RWJ Barnabas Health Group, Dr. Edward Liu, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and Christine Newman, AARP New Jersey Director of Community Outreach, who took questions from the audience.

Listen to the recording here.

On Thursday, March 18, AARP New Jersey hosted a Telephone Town Hall to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine distribution program for people 75 and older. The event featured New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner, Judy Persichilli, and Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Dr. Margaret Fisher. On the call, the Commissioner Persichilli announced the program expanded to people 65 and older. You can listen to the recording here.

Topics of discussion included building trust in the vaccine, a vaccine pilot program in partnership with Walmart, vaccine supply and demand, immune responses and possible side effects from the vaccine, and COVID-19 related fraud and scams.

You can listen to the recording here.

On Friday, January 22, AARP New Jersey hosted a vaccine information telephone town hall with NJ Governor Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. You can listening to the recording here.

Thousands of people from around the state joined this important conversation to learn more about New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Listeners had a chance to ask questions live.

Commissioner Persichilli answered questions like:

• What can you share with individuals who are eligible for the vaccine, but can't make an appointment?
• Will I have to pay for the vaccine?
• How can someone register if they don't have access to a computer?
• How can someone receive the vaccine if they don't drive or have access to other transportation options?
• How do I make a second appointment for the vaccine?

You can listening to the recording here.

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