PORTLAND, Ore — On Monday, 168,000 Oregonians 80 and older become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Only about 3% of them will get a shot during their first week of vaccination events at the convention center or airport.
Those who will be eligible for the vaccine in the Portland area should know they won't be able to reserve an appointment until Monday. They will be able to use the automated scheduling tool on the Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) COVID-19 webpage.
If you're eligible, click that white speech bubble in the orange circle on the lower right side of the page, and it will take you through a series of questions. If there are times available, you'll be able to make a reservation.
People can also dial 211 and ask to be transferred to the reservation call center. Operators there will ask questions to make sure they qualify, then book a time at either the Portland International Airport drive-thru location or the Oregon Convention Center.
The first week, there will be about 1,000 doses available for seniors at the convention center and 4,450 at the airport drive-thru site. The airport got more because organizers assumed it would be easier for seniors.
In other parts of the state, the OHA urged seniors to contact their county health department for information on how to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Some, like Baker County, are pushing the information out to the public. Baker County’s announcement included information on how to sign up.
“County residents can sign up at www.bakercountycovid19.com anytime, or by calling 541-523-0015 between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 8 through Thursday, February 11. Spanish translators will be available,” it read.
In the meantime, Gov. Kate Brown thanked seniors for something many do not have when it comes to waiting for these shots.
“I want to say thank you to our seniors for your patience thus far and for your continued patience in the coming days and weeks," said Gov. Brown. "We are certainly still managing a scarce resource. There is not enough vaccine yet to give everyone eligible a shot when they are ready."
Many are angry they were pushed behind educators in the vaccine line even though most of the deaths from COVID-19 in Oregon are in the senior population.
Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said during the same news conference Friday that there is some good news. He said Oregon ranks 12th in the nation in percentage of population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine (8.8%). The state is 16th in the nation for percentage of vaccine used (67%).
Allen said over the last seven days, more than 15,000 people were given a shot each day.
On top of that, he said the amount of vaccine coming to Oregon will soon go up from 52,000 first doses a week to 75,000. Because of that, he expects to move into the rest of 1B eligible population in two months, a month earlier than previously expected. 1B includes front line workers like grocery clerks and those with underlying medical conditions.
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