PORTLAND, Ore — Portland's major health care systems will start vaccinating teachers for COVID-19 at the Oregon Convention Center starting Wednesday, the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) said.
Teachers and other pre-K-12 staff must have an appointment before showing up. School districts plan to sequence staff groups for these appointments.
Those who have direct in-person contact with students will be offered appointments first. People in the first group will receive information about scheduling early this week, according to MESD.
Health systems will notify regional education service districts, which will notify districts when appointments are available. Districts will then notify each staffing group when it is their turn to make an appointment.
MESD does not know how much lead time will be offered for those appointments.
Beginning Monday, roughly 40,000 school workers in the tri-county area will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
Because of limited vaccine supply, health care systems are only vaccinating about 2,000 people a day at the convention center. At this rate, it will take several weeks to give the first vaccine dose to all early education and K-12 staff.
Health care systems are working with school leaders to launch a comprehensive vaccination distribution plan so that educators in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties can get vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible, MESD said, adding that the details of the plan may change rapidly.
Because of the fluidness of the situation, school staff are asked to be prepared to act quickly when notified they are eligible for an upcoming vaccination appointment.
