Large groups of people are newly eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting today, April 5, including frontline workers and their age-eligible family members living with them, and those 16 and older with underlying health conditions as defined by the CDC.
Although 16-17 year olds are eligible, the appropriate vaccine is not currently available in Wasco County. North Central Public Health District is working with the Oregon Health Authority to provide the Pfizer vaccine in the upcoming weeks.
Both of these new groups are broadly defined, meaning many people are now eligible for the vaccine. Because of that, North Central Public Health District recently changed the vaccine appointment process.
Before, people had to sign up on our website for email notifications. When their group was eligible, they were emailed a link and password to our booking system. That method is gone. Now our booking system is directly accessible to everyone from our website, https://www.ncphd.org/. You no longer need a link and password to book an appointment.
The booking system is accessed by a button at the top of our homepage that says “covid vaccine, click here.”
New appointments will become available by the end of the business day today. They will be for the week of April 12.
Frontline workers include those working in all grocery stores and retail stores, all food service workers, college staff, government workers, banking and tax preparation workers, and legal and court system workers.
A detailed list is attached below.
The expanded list of underlying health conditions includes: cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, dementia and other neurological conditions, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, Down syndrome, heart conditions, HIV infection, weakened immune system, liver disease, overweight and obesity (defined as body mass index (BMI) over 30), pregnancy, smoking (current or former), sickle cell disease or thalassemia, organ or blood stem cell transplant recipients, stroke or cerebrovascular disease, and substance use disorder.
(For more information, please visit COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon, contact North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600, visit us on the web at www.ncphd.org or find us on Facebook.)