Under intense demand, seniors aged 80 and older in the Portland area booked every COVID-19 vaccination appointment they had available in the approximately two and a half hours they were eligible Monday.
It was the first day Governor Kate Brown allowed this oldest group of Oregonians to start planning vaccinations across Oregon – and those who were Internet savvy or had family members who could help them seized the opportunity after ten months of the pandemic that affected their age. hit. group the most difficult.
The process varies from country to country, but in the Portland area, the state’s vaccination information website – https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov – has started allowing seniors to start booking appointments Monday at 9 p.m. By 11:35 a.m., all appointments at the Oregon Convention Center and Portland International Airport’s red economy car park for the next week – through Tuesday, February 16 – had been completed.
It is unclear when new appointments will open. The Oregonian / OregonLive asks for clarification from local health officials. The two mass vaccination sites are inoculating residents of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties.
The governor and government officials for public health have asked older residents for patience because there is not enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone immediately. Patrick Allen, director of health care in Oregon, said last week that it could be early May before 75% of seniors 65 and older who want to be vaccinated will have two doses.
Allen said he estimates this is approximately when 75% of the other groups already eligible for governor will be fully vaccinated. These groups include early pupils and K-12 school workers, Phase 1a health care workers, prison and prison residents.
The governor has been heavily criticized by seniors for delaying their vaccination admission dates by weeks, while allowing daycare, pre-school and K-12 employees access to the vaccines from January 25 across the country.
Monday’s vaccination planning process was filled with some surprises for seniors. First, although seniors were able to book their appointments on Monday, no vaccinations would take place Monday, at least in the Portland area. Most appointments started on Wednesday.
Some readers who contacted The Oregonian / OregonLive on Monday morning also reported that they were having trouble booking an appointment. The process differs from country to country, but in the Portland area, appointments can not be booked by phone on Monday and can only be secured online via the state’s information website https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov/ by means of a ” Let’s get started ”And chat instrument.
Public health officials said those who need help finding the system in their area or have common questions should call 211. It’s unclear whether seniors across the state can book appointments via the number, but at least in the Portland area, a recorded message sent mixed messages Monday. A pre-recorded message said it was possible, but that the line was experiencing ‘extremely high call volumes’. The message is that it only helps people in phase 1a, such as healthcare workers, to plan appointments. The line is then disconnected.
It is also unclear whether elderly people receiving their first doses will be automatically scheduled by the vaccination staff for second-dose appointments, but this has so far been the practice in Portland area for people receiving the first doses.
After the age of 80 years and older, the fitness will expand each week to younger age groups: 75 and older from 15, 70 and older from 22 and 65 February and older from 1 March.
Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, said the state could be eligible for people with underlying conditions and some essential workers in early April. Allen speculates that it could be July when the general population of healthy adults in Oregon gains access to the vaccines.
Allen said the timeline could be shortened if vaccines like Johnson & Johnson get permission for emergency use and doses start arriving in Oregon this spring.
Check back later on OregonLive.com. This story will be updated.
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– Aimee Green; [email protected]; @o_aimee