Free COVID-19 vaccines are available for New Providence children as young as 6 months old, the Westfield Regional Health Department announced.
The department is offering the pediatric vaccines at no cost to children ages 6 months through 3 years, according to a notice posted Monday, Oct. 26, on the borough's website.
The offer comes as New Jersey heads into another respiratory virus season. Last fall, hospitalizations tied to COVID-19, flu and RSV climbed statewide starting the week of Oct. 25, 2025, according to NJ.com, which cited the state's respiratory illness surveillance report. For the week ending Nov. 8, 2025, COVID-19 accounted for 35 emergency department visits resulting in hospitalization statewide. Respiratory outbreaks in the state's long-term care facilities at that time were primarily due to COVID-19, NJ.com reported.
By late December 2025, the picture had worsened. There were 500 hospitalizations reported statewide for flu, COVID-19 and RSV for the week ending Dec. 20, 2025, compared with about 150 the same week the year before, NJ.com reported. New Jersey was one of five states experiencing "very high" flu activity at that point, according to the CDC. The state's flu season peaked the first week of February 2026 with more than 14,000 cases.
No Union County or New Providence-specific case counts from last season appear in available public data.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children 6 months through 23 months receive a yearly COVID-19 vaccine. For children 2 and older, the AAP recommends a risk-based approach, the notice said.
The health department is also offering free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to homebound individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older.
Parents can call 908-789-4070 to schedule an appointment.
