Oregon began rolling out COVID-19 vaccines Monday for people 80 years and older. This is the first phase of Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccination for seniors. Over the next four weeks, the number of people eligible to be vaccinated will more than double as people aged 65 and over qualify for one age group. How each person will be vaccinated depends on where they live – the process will look very different in each country. Health officials in Oregon expect ‘chaos’ as new systems are tested.
Nancy and Ira Wikstrom were first on January 26, 2021 for doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at a new site in Ridgefield, Washington. The site was opened to deliver more than 700 vaccines a day.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
The Oregon Health Authority last week announced a number of new changes to its website. During the first phase of the vaccine explosion, some groups – such as health workers who are not connected to an important system – or caregivers – were overlooked or struggling to get a vaccine.
OHA is introducing a number of new tools to fill the gaps. aimed at the cracks exposed in the initial phase of reopening. But these tools, and those that were in place before, have yet to be tested with such a broad group of people. And if there is one thing we have learned from this pandemic, it is that any website, well designed or not, can be confusing and can crash if overloaded.
“I do not think anyone is under the illusion that the things we put in place will create an immediate, seamless experience for every parent,” said OHA communications director Robb Cowie. ‘And we know, especially for the senior population, technology is not always easy. ”
To try to make things less confusing, here is a list of resources that include frequently asked questions, troubleshooting tips, and guidance for those who are not yet able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Oregon Health Authority determines who is eligible to be vaccinated, and decides how many vaccines will be sent from each state’s weekly shipments to each state. The local health authorities determine the details of how the share of each country will be distributed. The best way to get vaccines in humans
Related: Oregon’s Plan to Defeat COVID-19, an Illustrated Guide
the Portland area will be very different from the best way to get people in Harney County vaccinated, so the rollout in each Oregon province will look very different.
Some provinces use all their lots of vaccines to target groups that have fallen through the gaps in other parts of the blast. Some provinces will also move faster than others: some provinces already started vaccinating people aged 80 and over last week, when they finished vaccinating people who are already eligible and want the vaccine.
This week, vaccinations are only available to people 80 years and older and to people who are already eligible. Here’s what we know about who’s coming next. Other seniors may also plan vaccinations for future dates starting today, but that will change according to the province.
- February 15 – People 75 years and older are eligible
- February 22 – People 70 years and older are eligible
- March 1 – People 65 years and older are eligible
That is almost 800 000 extra people, and there are still people in group 1a who have not yet received the vaccine. Oregon is expected to receive approximately 75,000 first doses of vaccine each week, though that number may increase as more vaccines become available. The Oregon Health Authority estimates that 75% of eligible seniors will receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in early April.
Once 75% of seniors, teachers, and Phase 1a members have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the Oregon Health Authority will begin making vaccines available to other groups.
If you are 80 years or older, chances are you can get the COVID-19 vaccine fairly quickly. People in the age group 75 and older can also do it more easily.
But the number of eligible people increases as the age reduction for the elderly decreases. According to OHA data, the demand for vaccines will quickly exceed.
“The gap between eligible people and the number of vaccines is quite large at the beginning and it’s only going to get bigger for a while,” explained Patrick Allen, director of OHA.
Many people can only make an appointment for their first vaccination at the end of March. If your appointments are full when you try to register, try again later.
There are currently two tools available to help people find out if they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and to connect them with appointments.
The first system is a chatbot on the OHA website that tells you if you are eligible, and helps people make appointments. It only works in English and Spanish. The second is a Google tool called Get Vaccinated Oregon, which connects people with vaccination events in their area. It will be available in 12 languages. It will be available on the OHA COVID-19 vaccination page.
Go to the Oregon COVID-19 vaccination website, covidvaccine.oregon.gov. Move halfway off the page (this is a very large page) and look for the link that says ‘Vaccination may be suitable’. Then click “Let’s get started.” A chatbot – which is actually just an interactive recording – appears in the far right corner of the screen. Follow the instructions of the chatbot. This will take you to a page to make your appointment.
Step 1 is always to refresh the page and start over. If you accidentally leave the page, the bot will (usually) remember the information you previously entered.
This can be a problem if you make a mistake, but the bot does contain a “start over” button that erases your previous conversation. Some users have reported that the button does not work. If this happens, try clearing your browser cookies before reloading the page.
Cleaning cookies is easy, but you do it differently in each browser. Google “how to clear cookies” and the name of your browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and the operating system you use (such as Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.)
OHA maintains a page linking you to vaccination information in different provinces. Maybe you can get more information there, but you may have to wait until new appointments open and try again.
The Oregon Health Authority is working with Google to create this new vaccine registration tool. People can use the tool to enter information about their age, risk factors, job and location. The instrument will inform you about vaccines for which you qualify in your area.
The instrument was to be rolled out on Monday, but does not appear to be online. We will update this story with tips and tricks once the system is introduced.
The best way is to try again at a less busy time. The times before 09:00 and after 21:00 are usually less busy. But vaccination sites are first and foremost, so it’s also possible that the appointments may be full if you wait too long to register.
The state maintains a COVID-19 helpline reached by 211. The line has experienced long wait times, and the Oregon government, Kate Brown, announced Friday that it will mobilize 30 additional National Guard troops to mobilize the line. help beman.
But the line may still be full.
Because the line may be busy, there is also a text line available to help. You can also send ORCOVID to 898211 to receive the information.
The Oregon Health Authority recommends vaccinations for the elderly one age group to prevent congestion. But some are still inevitable.
Although people over the age of 80 can make appointments, Allen from OHA has asked that people under the age of 80 wait to register. If you’re someone who can easily stay home and is not likely to get sick, you can put more people at risk of getting their vaccinations by waiting a few weeks – even after your group is eligible to make appointments.
“We want to ask seniors to just hold on a little bit so that the 80+ people can access the system,” Allen said.
As soon as the initial flood of people slows down, technical problems and delays should start to subside.
You can also help by using the chatbot, or by texting ORCOVID to 898221 (see above) before trying the 211 helpline. If a question cannot be answered in this way, call 211 as a last resort.
You will receive information on the schedule of a second dose after receiving the first dose.
Spanish is supported on OHA’s website and through its chatbot. Spanish speakers are also available on the 211 hotline. Translations can also be provided by the Oregon Health Authority by contacting the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411
It is possible to access most of OHA’s sites using Google translate, although the translations may not be completely accurate. You can do this by downloading this app.
211info.org/COVID also contains resources in different languages.
Large text and braille versions of OHA documents are also available. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411 to access them. The 211 number website, 211info.org/COVID, provides information on access to health resources for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and TTY numbers. for relevant agencies.
To contact the TT via TTY, use call 711 before calling 1-971-673-2411.