As Oregon begins senior vaccinations, ‘hiccups,’ ‘some degree of chaos’ expected
Gov. Brown, OHA officials advise to expect 'hiccups' and 'some degree of chaos'; outline new tools, ways to learn when eligible, where to get shots
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – As Oregon passed the grim milestone of 2,000 COVID-19 related deaths on Friday, Gov. Kate Brown and Oregon Health Authority officials also had better news about an expanding supply of vaccines and ramped-up plans to begin vaccinations to more seniors, starting next week.
“Each life lost to this horrible virus is one too many,” Brown said.
Still, she said, nearly a year after the first cases were reported in Oregon, “we are faring better than almost every other state” in infection and mortality rates, both the fourth-lowest in the nation. Oregon is also 12th in the nation for getting its available vaccine doses into people’s arms, she said.
Brown said she was on a call with the White House earlier this week and learned states will be receiving a more than 20 percent increase in vaccine allotments.
“However, we still have a long way to go,” she said. “We surely are still managing a scarce resource.”
Brown noted, as OHA has, that there are still not enough doses in the state at present to give everyone eligible a vaccine when they are ready.
“But our phased approach will help avoid some of the nightmares seen in other states,” she said.
As reported earlier, next week, those 80 and over are eligible for vaccinations, with each week expanding downward by 5 years, to reach age 65.
Deschutes County Health Services told NewsChannel 21 that after this week's pause, the county expects 1,000 vaccine doses next week, allowing for needed second doses and reopening appointments for new recipients as well.
“I want to be up front with you: There will still be some hiccups in this process, but we will get through them,” Brown said, noting that Google helped create a new tool, “Get Vaccinated Oregon,” to help people learn where vaccines are available in their area.
Seniors can also call 211 for information, and to help in that regard, 30 more Oregon National Guard members will be deployed to staff the call center.
OHA Director Patrick Allen said Oregonians can be thankful about having the fifth-lowest death rate from COVID-19, and that more than 500,000 vaccine doses have been given to this point.
“We face many challenges, including short supplies of vaccine,” Allen said. “I’m asking older Oregonians for their patience. In exchange for that, we promise, every senior will get vaccine who wants it.
"Not everyone over 80 will be able to get vaccinated on February 8th. Many seniors and family members will be frustrated. OHA and partners operating vaccination sites are doing everything we can. It may take several weeks, but we will get you vaccinated.”
Already, he said, the existing vaccination sites have the capacity to vaccinate twice as many people as the state has doses to administer.
“Supply and demand are the remaining limiting factors,” Allen said.
But if vaccine doses available keep pace with the expanding eligible population, the state expects to have at least first doses given to 75% of the eligible population by early April.
After that, the state expands eligibility to others in the Phase 1b group, including front-line workers and people with underlying conditions. That’s about a month earlier than previous projections.
“The amount we get is also changing, and we are constantly recalibrating timelines,” Allen said.
By the end of this week, the state will have administered 420,000 first doses, just over 75% of those eligible so far. Next week brings big changes in eligibility, including state prison inmates (as a federal judge directed this week), as well as inmates in county jails and Oregon Youth Authority facilities.
The hill to climb gets steeper, as more than 1.3 million Oregonians will be eligible within four weeks, but already there are over 100,000 seniors vaccinated. Also, Allen said, the Biden administration will make available to Oregon 11,600 more doses a week of the Moderna vaccine.
Oregon also has been adopted into the retail pharmacy program, getting another 12,000 doses a week for that effort, starting next week at more than 100 retail pharmacy locations across the state.
None of that, he said, takes into account other possible vaccines in the pipeline, as Johnson & Johnson just made its request for federal emergency authorization to begin distributing its new one-shot vaccine. “That’d be welcome news, but we won’t father that in until its approved,” Allen said.
“Next week, when seniors become eligible, we will see some degree of chaos,” Allen acknowledged. “You will not have to look hard to find frustration and confusion. We will fall short. The numbers don’t lie – the gap between the eligible population and available doses will be wide, at first. We’re still building a new vaccine distribution system. There will be gaps we’ll struggle to bridge for many people.”
While it doesn’t diminish the risk, Allen did note that Oregon has now vaccinated more than twice as many people as those who have been diagnosed with the virus over the past year.
Gov. Brown later again acknowledged to reporters “this will take time” and urged Oregonians not yet eligible to receive the vaccine to “be respectful and wait their turn.”
Longer-term, Allen said if the vaccine supplies increase significantly, as expected, the program should be able to expand to more of the general public by July, and it will become “like you get a flu shot, available everywhere.” But he also hedged his bets and said it’s possible the general availability could take until early fall.
Allen also said the counties (including Deschutes) that lost their expected vaccine first doses this week, to send more to thousands of waiting Portland-area health care workers, will again get first doses next week.
News release:
Governor Kate Brown Provides Updates on COVID-19 in Oregon
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown held a press conference today to update Oregonians on the status of COVID-19 vaccinations in Oregon. The Governor was joined by Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Director Pat Allen and State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger.
"This week, we’re looking forward to beginning statewide vaccinations for our seniors living independently, beginning with those who are 80 years and older," said Governor Brown. "In some counties, vaccinations for seniors are already underway.
"I want to thank our seniors for their patience thus far, and for their continued patience in the coming days and weeks. We are still managing a scarce resource. There will be hiccups in this process, but we are going to get through them. Signing up for an appointment will look different based on your community and your health care provider."
Starting Monday, the covidvaccine.oregon.gov site will include a new tool—Get Vaccinated Oregon— to help people determine eligibility and to sign up for email alerts and text notifications when they become eligible. Seniors living independently with questions can also call 2-1-1 for information. To help ensure the phone lines are running smoothly, Governor Brown is deploying 30 additional National Guard members to help staff the call center.
Governor Brown added: "Our National Guard members have already helped in extraordinary ways, having administered more than 44,000 vaccines to Oregonians. That is 58% of the total vaccines at the sites they are supporting. Thank you to our National Guard, and thank you to their employers who are sacrificing while they help in this effort."
A copy of the Governor's prepared remarks from today's press conference is available here.
A recording of Friday's live-streamed press conference is available here.
More information on vaccines is available at covidvaccine.oregon.gov.
