CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Hundreds snaked their way through the six-story parking garage at the Clackamas Town Center on Saturday to receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
"It's appointment only. They're coming in, they're being routed through here," said Clackamas Fire Capt. Mike Verkest. "Every floor is the same duplicated vaccine station."
It was the second day of vaccinations at the mall, which is now Clackamas County's largest vaccine clinic. Nearly 1,500 people were vaccinated on Friday and more than 2,000 people on Saturday. Everyone who received a shot had to be a resident of Clackamas County.
Martin Van Londen signed up for his shot on Thursday. He said it took about an hour from the time he showed up to the time he received his first shot. "I want to contribute and help us get to herd immunity. I don't want to worry if I'm getting someone around me sick or if I'm spreading it some way," he said.
Clackamas County has vaccinated 22% of its population. That's the same percentage as Washington County and just below where Multnomah County stands.
More than 1 million Oregonians have received their first shot, or about 25% of the population. That's just shy of the national average.
Heather Schmitt lives in Oregon City and says she signed up right away when appointments opened up. "It was a very simple process and I'm grateful now to have that first part done and be back in two weeks to get finished up," she said.
For Wednesday, March 31, every appointment at three different Clackamas County vaccine clinics is full. County health officials will give out 500 doses at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds, another 500 at Molalla High School and an unknown amount at Clackamas Community College's Wilsonville campus.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday announced the state will accelerate its vaccine timeline for front-line workers and people 16 and older who have underlying health conditions.
On Monday, April 5, all people in Group 7 of Phase 1B, including grocery store workers, will become eligible for vaccines. The date is two weeks earlier than previously planned.
Here’s who is eligible in Oregon’s updated timeline:
March 29: Phase 1B, Group 6
- Adults 45-64 with underlying health conditions
- Migrant and seasonal farm workers
- Seafood and agricultural workers
- Food processing workers
- People living in low-income senior housing, senior congregate and independent living
- People experiencing homelessness
- People currently displaced by wildfires
- Wildland firefighters
- Pregnant people 16 and older
April 5: Phase 1B, Group 7
- Front-line workers as defined by the CDC (see page 2 of the document below for a full list)
- Multigenerational household members
- Adults 16 and older with underlying health conditions
The general population will become eligible May 1. Counties can apply through the state move that date to April 26 if they meet certain requirements.
"We’ll ask counties to include an attestation that they are ready to move forward and to document their efforts to vaccinate previously eligible populations and that they expect to have appointments available to expand sooner than May 1," the Oregon Health Authority tweeted.
Applications are due April 15, and the state will decide which counties are approved by April 22.