Local police, jail, other deputies exempt from state’s COVID vaccine mandate

State troopers are not exempt. Neither are health care workers. Jefferson County Sheriff Marc Heckathorn shared this information Friday:

"There was some concern as to whether or not the Governor's vaccine mandate applied to my county corrections staff and today it was determined the mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations ordered by Governor Brown do NOT apply to any of my corrections deputies in Jefferson County. 

"The information was provided by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today and is a direct result of the input provided by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA). OSSA provided job information, expertise, and technical assistance to OHA and this interpretation today likely would not have happened without OSSA’s help and support.

"OHA released two weeks ago the determination that Patrol Deputies and Police Officers (not Troopers) fell outside the mandate as well. For the men and women of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, vaccines will continue to be a personal choice based on each person’s own individual choice," Heckathorn said.