CENTRAL POINT, Ore – Local officials are hammering out the final details for a planned vaccination at the Coronavirus vaccination event at the Jackson County Expo later this month. But with an increase in doses of vaccines no longer expected from the federal government, the coming opportunity is for Phase 1a groups only.
The drive-in event is still planned for 21, 22 and 23 January at the Expo, and several dozen members of the National Guard are expected to be on hand to assist with all aspects of the initiative – from logistics to the administration of the vaccines.
Officials from Jackson County, Josephine County and Asante held a press conference on Friday to investigate the details of the event, with more expected in the near future.
According to Holly Nickerson, Asante’s Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety, a sign-up portal and the necessary paperwork specifically for this event will be made available on their website from Monday 18 January.
Qualifying members of Phase 1a – including health workers, first responders, both residents and staff of long-term care facilities – are strongly encouraged to visit the website and have the paperwork prepared in advance.
Earlier this week, there was an indication that admission to seniors aged 65 and over could include educators and childcare workers. However, there has been no corresponding increase in doses to help local officials realize this, and Jackson County confirmed Friday that this first opportunity will be for Phase 1a only.
When the event begins, people will drive to a checkpoint to have their paperwork examined. They will be vaccinated while still in their vehicles, and then brought to a waiting area for observation over a period of 15 minutes or longer to ensure that there are no serious allergic reactions.
Participants will receive a form indicating that they have received the first dose, along with information on how to receive a second dose in the coming weeks.
The exact hours of the event are still being discussed, but Asante said they expect it to be open for about 8 hours each day.
Nickerson said Asante did about 500 vaccinations a day in southern Oregon every day of the week. The goal of the Expo event is to vaccinate 5,000 people over the three-day period.
A second similar event is planned for January 24 and 25 in Josephine County, though the website and exact details are still being developed. Officials hope to carry out 3,000 vaccinations during this event, which may be available to educators.
Both Jackson and Josephine County drive-ins are equipped with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage. Nickerson said Asante staff are now well accustomed to the vaccine storage and thawing process, and that they will be able to prepare sufficient doses for use as needed.
As of Friday, it was still unclear whether residents of the two provinces would be able to receive a vaccine on both occasions, or that they would have to attend one in their own province.
There are about 20,000 people in Phase 1a in Jackson County, public health officials said, and more than 7,000 in Josephine County. Josephine County Public Health Director Mike Weber describes widespread hesitation about the vaccine in areas of the country, even among the Phase 1a group – suggesting that 60 percent of the group may be vaccinated.
Dr. Jackson County Health Officer Jim Shames said he was hopeful they would soon be able to expand the vaccinations to seniors and educators, as previously promised by state and federal officials, but with the latest revelation that dispatch numbers have largely remained the same. stagnant, he did not feel comfortable making promises.
Asante said they currently have 7,000 doses of the vaccine on hand – just enough to provide the Jackson County opportunity while still doing vaccinations in their own facilities daily. Shames said he expects to constantly receive new deliveries as for weeks, but the number does not reflect a local stock that can easily supply extensive categories of people – especially as a growing number of people are waiting for their second doses.
The Oregon Health Department reported as of Thursday that 3,888 people had been vaccinated in Jackson County, while 991 received second doses. 1132 people were vaccinated in Josephine County, with only 136 receiving second doses.
Shames admitted Friday that documentation of the number of vaccines administered at the local level has lagged behind in Oregon; so although some government data indicates that there are a large number of vaccine doses in the reserve, local partners actually have a relatively thin margin of vaccines yet to be administered.