In a move that surprised and upset some of its own employees, Oregon Health & Science University offered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to all of its staff and students, including those who work from home and others who may not to the CDC definition of healthcare professionals up front.
The education hospital made the vaccine available to staff and students without considering their risk of exposure to the virus, as doses in Oregon are relatively scarce.
More than half of the frontline health care staff in Multnomah County have yet to be vaccinated as of Friday, and the deployment of Oregon’s vaccine has left other states behind and the expectations of government Kate Brown.
Related: Why did Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccine lag behind?
Other groups at increased risk for exposure to COVID-19, including prisoners and food processing and agricultural workers, are weeks or months away from vaccination. Just over 1% of Oregonians have been vaccinated so far.
Healthcare systems in the area have a varied approach to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. OHSU made the vaccine available to staff and students, and the Providence Health System also gave the vaccine to staff who do not expose the risk to patient. Meanwhile, Kaiser and Legacy Health said they only focus on health workers in the foreground.
Christophe Ena / AP
Although the vaccine is scarce, some Oregon hospitals have a surplus and have struggled to get the COVID-19 vaccines into people’s arms as soon as they arrive, with more shipments each week.
The Oregon health authority has meanwhile issued a policy update ordering vaccines to focus on efficacy and the maximum number of vaccinations given. This guidance does not further explain whether people working in administrative roles in healthcare without an increased risk of exposure should be considered in the first phase of vaccine distribution, known as 1a.
The CDC’s definition of health care staff, cited in Oregon’s vaccine distribution plan, includes administrative staff, but not all. It states that healthcare professionals eligible for the first vaccination round include “persons who are not directly involved in patient care, but who may be exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted in the healthcare environment,” with people carrying laundry, security and invoices provide services as examples.
Oregon’s vaccine distribution plan emphasizes that 1a health workers are those “who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.”
Related: OHSU Statement on its COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
OHSU made the announcement that anyone could be vaccinated in an internal message sent to staff on Sunday, which also unveiled a new reporting system.
“With the latest COVID-19 forecast showing a new upswing within a few weeks, we must now act to change the path of the virus and increase the number of Oregon residents who are vaccinated,” the message read.
“We are in the process of vaccinating our front line for healthcare, which means that we are opening the vaccination time schedule for all employees and learners. You can now schedule yourself using the links below through Wednesday, January 6, even if you fall outside the category of waves 1-6. ”
OHSU staff recently started receiving their second Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations.
Josh Andersen / Photo courtesy of Oregon Health & Science University
OHSU has previously created a six-wave system of employees that would be vaccinated sequentially based on their risk of exposure to COVID-19 and the importance of their work.
The first five waves included all healthcare staff, critical support staff and administrators who regularly work on campus.
“In recognition of the urgency of vaccinating all members as soon as possible, we will not prioritize or under-prioritize members in future,” the message announced.
A day after OHSU changed its policy, Brown said the Oregon Health Authority is moving too slowly with the distribution of the vaccine and announces a new target of 12,000 vaccinations per day.
Related: Oregon vaccination is too slow, says government Kate Brown
Connie Seeley, chief administrative officer of OHSU, serves as Brown’s special adviser on the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine.
OHSU did not make anyone available for an interview and did not answer written questions about their vaccination program, including why employees who can work at home were admitted. In a written statement, a spokesman for the hospital defended the decision to vaccinate all staff and students, saying it had been approved by the state.
‘Because we vaccinated the priority groups quickly and efficiently, we were able to start vaccinating all employees and students with OHA approval – from 8 a.m. on Friday, January 8, OHSU received 19,250 doses and administered 14,068 vaccines. “Tamara Hargens-Bradley, spokeswoman, said.
Nathan Olague, left, and Manjula Raghu are among the first five people to receive COVID-19 vaccinations on Legacy Emanuel in December. Legacy Health says they focus on vaccinating front-line health workers.
Dave Killen / The Oregonian
The Providence Health System has also given the vaccine to staff who do not have the risk of exposure to patients. Meanwhile, Kaiser and Legacy Health told KGW News that they only focus on health workers in the foreground.
The announcement blinded some healthcare staff at the OHSU working on the main campus and were still waiting for their vaccination, and they said they would be notified by their managers when it was their turn to be vaccinated. According to comments posted on an internal employee forum, it has a rush of employees trying to sign up for available slots online, some comparing it to the “Hunger Games” series, or trying to get tickets for the striking Broadway musical “Hamilton”.
Apologies, frustrations
Some employees who work from home and have been vaccinated to be vaccinated are posted on the forum, apologizing and asking if they can give away their time slots to colleagues who need the vaccination.
The news of the email quickly spread to members of the public. Amanda Blum, 44, is a tech strategist living in southeast Portland. Blum has an autoimmune disorder, Pemphigus vulgaris, which requires her to use an immunosuppressive agent. Her condition, along with being overweight, puts her at a higher risk for COVID-19.
“They give priority to people who just have no business right now,” Blum said.
Because of her immunosuppressive drugs, Blum said she has spent the past 11 months in isolation, working at home without any human contact. She is eager to be vaccinated. Blum does not expect to be near the front of the line.
“Every time I saw one of my doctor friends, I was very happy for them. They need it, ”she said.
But she was surprised to learn that friends and neighbors who work for Providence and OHSU and have no interaction with patients are being vaccinated.
“One of my friends squealed at me. They record institutional gifts for a healthcare business. They apologize to me. I was like, I am happy for you and also angry, ”she said.
“Why is no one pushing back against OHSU and Providence and these groups doing it?” Vra Blum. “I think it’s negligence, and I’m furious with OHA for not putting their foot down.”
In a media briefing this week, reporters Patrick Allen, director of health care in Oregon, asked about health care personnel without specific risk of exposure to the virus receiving the vaccine. Allen replied that he had recently heard that people who were not yet eligible for the vaccine according to state and federal guidelines were receiving it.
Related: Teachers ask Oregon governor for vaccine, resources, before resuming personal lessons
“We have become aware of the vaccines of vaccination staff, which go beyond the definitions of category 1a, which are really people who are at risk of contacting patients,” he said.
Allen added that the problem was “much wider” than he initially thought, and said OHA would provide guidance to stop the practice.
OPB requested a copy of the lead and received it yesterday. It does not contain any further explanation as to whether administrative staff or employees of the health system working from home should be included in the 1a vaccination round.
“OHA encourages those who administer vaccines to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are administered efficiently and effectively.” Everyone admitted to Phase 1a, Group 1-4, is currently eligible for vaccines. The most important priority is to get as many people vaccinated in phase 1a as possible, ”the agency said.
The agency said it would publish additional guidelines on vaccine admission today.
Editor’s note: OHSU waited until this story was published to give OPB a written statement, which you can read in full here. It sets out an outline of OHSU’s plans to hold through-vaccination clinics and make the COVID-19 vaccine available to other community health workers, first responders and dental providers in the coming weeks.