The inclusion of New Jersey smokers among medically qualified people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is based on science and not politics, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
The Democratic governor came on Twitter on Friday to respond to criticism of state policy, which allows smokers between the ages of 16 and 64 to get the vaccine in front of the general population.
“Our first priority must be to vaccinate those at higher risk due to age or other health factors that make them more vulnerable to severe COVID.” Murphy wrote on Twitter. “This is a respiratory virus. Our goal is to save every possible life through facts and science. Smoking puts someone at a higher risk of having a more severe case of COVID. In this regard, we agree with the guidelines of @CDCgov “.
Murphy said he understood how he let smokers get the non-smoking vaccine for some people.
“I also understand the point here that attacking people who have become accustomed to smoking and who are now addicted can be politically useful,” he wrote on Twitter. “We are stuck in a position where we have to prioritize our limited doses of vaccine based on medical facts and not political will.”
Some public health experts have argued that smoking should not be a cause for early inoculation, according to the Washington Examiner.
“This would not be a high-priority group,” Eric Washington Topol, a cardiologist and founder and director of the Scripps Translational Research Institute, told the Washington Post. “Smoking alone does not reduce it in my opinion”
Some groups, such as teachers, who did not qualify for prioritization were shocked by the decision.
“A lot of people were just amazed by this decision,” said Nick Zaneto, a teacher and coach at Metuchen High School. “It’s not a medical condition that you’re a smoker. You make a personal choice to either smoke or smoke cigarettes. [teachers], we try to teach our students to stay away from bad habits, such as smoking, and this seems almost a reward for those individuals. “
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