Deschutes County Jail inmates offered flu vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates last year, 80,000 Americans died from the flu and its complications.

Flu shots are encouraged by medical experts, but they may not be available to everyone.

In particular, only recently have flu vaccinations even been an option for inmates at the Deschutes County Jail.

This year, the jail received 50 donated vaccines from Deschutes County Health Services.

After being in jail for 14 days, inmates are given a medical assessment and the individuals identified as most at risk for getting the flu are offered a vaccine.

This year, even though there were 50 shots available, only 30 inmates opted to get the vaccine. That’s out of about 260 people in jail on an average day.

Next year, Sgt. William Bailey said they hope to secure funding to provide more vaccines. Until then, cleanliness is a huge priority.

“You know, we work really hard to keep the jail as sanitary as possible through cleaning and sanitizing and floors and windows and doors and handles,” Bailey said Friday. “They work really hard to keep the jail as sanitary as possible so we don’t have an outbreak.”

The jail environment could be especially hazardous if a virus were to take hold, explained Jill Johnson, immunization coordinator with Deschutes County Health Services.

“So those living in close proximity of course are more vulnerable to infectious disease and especially things like flu that are spread by respiratory droplets,” she said. “When someone sneezes or coughs, someone nearby could get flu virus in their mouth or nose.”

The Jefferson County Jail is slightly different, with far fewer inmates.

According to Sheriff Jim Adkins, out of 71 inmates, 17 opted to receive the vaccine this year..

Adkins said if more had wanted the vaccination, it would have been provided.

But it’s important to note, officials can’t require inmates to be vaccinated.

Deschutes County Health Services also announced the county is on track to be the highest flu-vaccinated county in Oregon, with 62 percent of the population having received flu vaccinations.