At its first weekend mass vaccination clinic on Saturday, North Central Public Health District, with assistance from Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue and Medical Reserve Corps members, vaccinated 290 people. Many were intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals and their caregivers.
NCPHD is using the Moderna vaccine, which is for those 18 and older. It is given in two doses a month apart, and is 95 percent effective against COVID-19 illness.
This coming Saturday, Jan. 29, educators and childcare providers will be the main focus of another large vaccination clinic that will serve 400 people. Some educators already got their vaccines last Saturday. The invitation-only events are held at The Dalles Readiness Center.
Sherman County educators and childcare providers have been vaccinated, and Gilliam County childcare providers were vaccinated last Friday and educators will be vaccinated this Friday.
Educators in Wasco County are being contacted by their schools with information about the vaccination clinic. All who work for school districts qualify for vaccines, as well as those who contract with the district, such as coaches. Childcare providers will be contacted by Childcare Partners, the local childcare referral and resource program for childcare and early learning providers.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown last Friday delved into the difficult decision she made to prioritize vaccination of educators before seniors, saying, “Educators can be vaccinated quickly, district by district. This choice represents a rapid action that will have an outsized impact on Oregon kids.”
Brown earlier cited the emerging academic and mental health crisis students are facing under distance learning. She has said she wants students, especially younger ones, back in classrooms beginning Feb. 15.
Seniors over 80 will be eligible for vaccines starting Feb. 8. Those 75 and older are eligible Feb. 15, those 70 and older are eligible on Feb. 22 and those 65 and older are eligible March 1.
The health district would like to hear from anyone in Phase 1a who has not yet received a vaccine. Those in Phase 1a are asked to call the health district at 541-506-2600. The phase broadly includes any healthcare workers, mental health workers, workers in group homes, and emergency responders.
To see if you fall into the top priority Phase 1a, please see Oregon’s Phase 1a vaccine sequencing plan, at https://bit.ly/3a6lIMG. The key information is on pages 5-10 of the document.
(For more information, please visit COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon or contact North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600 or visit us on the web at www.ncphd.org or https://wascoshermangilliamcovid- 19.com/)