Federal judge orders Oregon inmates to be offered COVID-19 vaccines immediately

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Oregon’s state prison inmates should be immediately offered the COVID-19 vaccine.

KPTV reported the ruling puts the state Department of Corrections’ inmates (adults in custody) in priority Phase 1a, Group 2, the same group as residents and staff of long-term care facilities that have been getting the vaccine.

That group comes before teachers and school staff now being vaccinated and seniors who become eligible statewide, starting next week with those over 80.

The Oregon Justice Resource Center filed a class-action lawsuit last spring, claiming the agency wasn’t doing enough to keep inmates safe and healthy during the pandemic. The group more recently claimed not having access to the vaccine violates their constitutional rights.

Attorney Juan Chavez said this is not a matter of inmates jumping the line, but instead joining the line where they should have been along, as have prison staff.

As of this week, the Department of Corrections reported nearly 3,400 COVID-19 cases have occurred among inmates, or roughly one-fourth of the state’s total prison population. Of those, 42 have died, about 2% of the state’s total COVID-19 related deaths.