PORTLAND, Ore. — While the state of Oregon initially struggled with COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the VA Portland Health Care System says its vaccine clinics are running smoothly and ramping up.
Clinics started earlier in the week. On Thursday, more than 1,000 veterans were expected to be vaccinated at separate clinics at the Portland and Vancouver campuses.
Ali Caley is a clinical nurse specialist for VA Portland's Vancouver campus, currently helping run the vaccine clinic inside a VA gymnasium.
"Very busy!" Caley said. "We can hold up to 20 vaccinators, vaccinating a veteran every ten minutes, so we're really trying to vaccinate as many veterans as we can, as safely as we can."
The VA is contacting enrolled veterans directly, based on age and clinical condition. A representative for the VA said people 67 and older are getting priority right now, but that eligibility will expand as more appointments move through.
Judy Bettencourt has been a nurse with the Portland VA for 28 years and is one of the leads on the clinic floor.
"Every day we make a little tweak here or there, just so we can make it a little bit easier for our veterans," Bettencourt said.
"The most friendly people in the world," described Charles Harold, 84.
Harold is a Navy veteran who contacted KGW about how smooth the vaccination process was for him at the VA clinic earlier this week.
"In and out of there in about 25 minutes," he said.
The process is streamlined in part by staff who sit in a balcony space above the gymnasium floor. They mix and dilute vaccine solutions from Pfizer vials to make proper dosage. Doses must be used within six hours of preparation, so they are made in real-time based on demand at the clinic below, limiting potential waste.
Staff at the Vancouver campus hope to ramp up the clinic in the coming days to vaccinate 1,000 veterans per day in the gymnasium.
So far, the Portland VA system overall has vaccinated about 11,000 staff members and veterans.
"I'm really happy to get the shot," veteran Linda Bender said Thursday. "It's the best thing we can do, and everyone should get one if they have the opportunity."
Portland VA staff encourage enrolled veterans to sign up for online vaccine notifications. Veterans who are not enrolled in the VA's health care system can call the eligibility hotline at 1-877-222-VETS (8387). However, the VA discourages anyone from calling directly about getting vaccines, since it clogs up the system.
Caley emphasized the VA plans to serve as many people as it can.
"This is priority number one with VA Portland, to get these vaccines out," she said.