How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon
As of Feb. 22, everyone in Phase 1A and groups one, two, three and four of Phase 1B is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon. That includes:
- Health care workers and first responders
- Long-term care residents
- K-12 educators and school staff
- Childcare providers
- People 70 and older
Oregon introduced an online tool that allows eligible residents of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion and Columbia counties to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The eligibility tool is open to everyone in Oregon to use and ask questions.
Another helpful resource is 211. People can call 211 and ask to be transferred to the reservation call center. Operators will determine eligibility, then book a time to receive the vaccination. People can also text ORCOVID to 898211 to get text/SMS updates or email ORCOVID@211info.org.
Vaccine signup still problematic as 206,000 more Oregonians become eligible
Across Oregon, more than 200,000 seniors aged 70 to 74 became eligible for COVID-19 vaccines on Monday.
But being eligible is not the same as getting a shot, especially in the Portland area where many are eager for the vaccine.
“So unfortunately, first of all, I got up right after midnight because I thought it would open up immediately,” said 71-year-old Alan Iberg. "But alas, it didn’t."
He wanted to do all he could to get one of the 7,000 shots made available starting at 9 a.m. through the Oregon Health Authority website.
But like many others, he ran into glitches on the website that kept him from getting an appointment despite being able to see the available times.
Oregon reports more than 821,000 vaccine doses have been given so far
Oregon health officials said as of Monday, 821,311 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given in the state. A total of 924,575 doses have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
The Oregon Health Authority also reported on Monday 324 new cases of COVID-19 and zero new deaths due to the virus.
US on verge of coronavirus vaccine breakthrough as manufacturing ramps up
It sounded so ambitious at first blush: 100 million vaccination shots in 100 days. Now, one month into his presidency, Joe Biden is on a glide path to attain that goal and pitching well beyond it to the far more ambitious and daunting mission of vaccinating all eligible adults against the coronavirus by the end of the summer.
Limited supply of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines has hampered the pace of vaccinations — and that was before extreme winter weather delayed the delivery of about 6 million doses this past week. But the United States is on the verge of a supply breakthrough as manufacturing ramps up and with the expectation of a third vaccine becoming available in the coming weeks.
Oregon continues to vaccinate people in custody; 80% opt-in for shot
Eighty percent of people in Oregon's prison system are opting to get the coronavirus vaccine, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections chief medical officer. The Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) vaccinated about 5,000 inmates before last week's snowstorm. Oregon prisons have consistently been sites of the state's largest coronavirus outbreaks. More than 40 inmates have died.
Washington seniors frustrated by lack of COVID-19 vaccine appointments
Many seniors in Washington are growing increasingly frustrated as the state starts talks about moving into the next tier of the COVID-19 vaccine plan, while many still can’t find an appointment.
"I have been trying for weeks to secure the vaccine - it seems Impossible," viewer Sally Johnson wrote to our sister station KING 5 in Seattle. "I am eligible as a 1B. I am 83 years old. I have major heart problems and am in early stage heart failure."
The state may still be weeks away from moving into Phase 1B-Tier 2 of vaccinations, but the conversation has many seniors, who have yet to find an appointment, feeling stressed.
