PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown toured Oregon Health and Science University's (OHSU) smooth-running vaccination site at the Portland International Airport on Friday.
The red lot, a long-term parking lot at the airport is now the state's largest drive-thru vaccination center.
By the end of Friday, OHSU president Dr. Danny Jacobs said the location will have given 100,000 shots since the COVID-19 vaccines became available.
“It’s just really evidence of us trying to do the right thing for Oregonians: get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible,” Dr. Jacobs said.
The site is staffed by employees from OHSU and volunteers from the Red Cross. It was initially designed for older Oregonians and those who have trouble with mobility. Now it's a major vaccination center for anyone with an appointment, routinely giving 5,000 to 6,000 shots each of the four days its open.
Gov. Brown was impressed. “I really appreciate the work happening,” she said.
In an interview with KGW, the governor used the moment to focus on reaching all Oregonians.
“The work that’s happening here is a result of partnerships, and its happening in every single community around the state," Gov. Brown said. "We have to move fast, but we also have to do this equitably and make sure we get our most vulnerable populations vaccinated."
The governor confirmed that she moved up the eligibility date for all Oregonians 16 and older because President Biden wanted it done in every state.
She sidestepped questions about Oregon’s suddenly falling vaccine supply. But its impossible to ignore.
The week of April 5, Oregon got roughly 220,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, including 60,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine for state vaccinators and 60,000 for pharmacies taking part in a federal vaccine program.
The week of April 12, Oregon will get roughly 108,000 doses because of a huge drop off in Johnson & Johnson supply.
And for April 19, when as many as 1 million Oregonians become newly eligible for vaccination, the weekly shipment could be as low as 102,000 doses.
The governor stuck to a frequent talking point when asked about vaccine supply.
“The good news is that everyone who wants a vaccine will get it. It may take some time, and we’re just asking people to be patient,” Gov. Brown said.
But that’s easier said than done. Several times this past week, people eager to get reservations for the vaccination effort at the PDX red lot nearly crashed the scheduling website because so many tried to sign up at once.