HR County ready to serve more people than it has COVID vaccines available

According to the Health Department, statewide there are more than 750,000 people aged 65 or older. While Oregon has already vaccinated more than 100,000 people aged 60 and older, state health officials estimate it will take until mid-April to vaccinate more than 7 in 10 Oregon seniors. All people over 65 are now eligible — if they can get it.

“It is very frustrating for us as we are not getting the amount of vaccine,” Elliott told the Hood River County Board of Commissioners last week. “We would really like to get those vaccines out to those older populations. It looks like going forward the state has committed to sending Hood River County 300 doses per week for net few weeks, and I’m disappointed with that. That’s pretty common number of doses they are giving to counties our size even though we have a lot more capacity to give vaccines than what we’re giving.”

All people over 65 should plan to be immunized by their primary care provider once providers have vaccine. The county is currently scheduling vaccinations to complete Phase 1a — second doses and Phase 1b, Groups 1 and 2 (see related story, page A1). If you are in one of these groups and have not been contacted by the Health Department, send an email to covidvaccine@co.hood-river.or.us; if you do not have email, call 541-387-6911.

Elliott told the board that her department and PCPs “are working extra hard to get people in, and we have a standby list at the end of every clinic day that we can get people in within a 15-minute timespan so we don’t waste.”

People able to respond within 15 minutes “are just like gold for us, we feel like we’re finally doing something positive in this fight against COVID in our community and we want to maximize every dose we have.”

Elliott cleared up what she called a recent rumor about wasted COVID vaccines, saying that out of the 2,000 doses handled so far, there have been exactly two losses: One was caused by a faulty needle and syringe set, and the other was blown by the wind from a table at an outside clinic, and was spoiled as a result.

“It’s all going into peoples’ arms except for those two situations,” she said.

Elliott noted that the syringe sets come from a federal stockpile, “and are different with each shipment, Sometimes they work well and sometimes they don’t. You just never know what you’re going to get.”

Elliott said the county has recorded 1,045 total pandemic cases, including 22 active ones, a total of 34 hospitalizations, and 29 deaths.

“We are continuing with vaccine efforts, with clinics each week for past 5-6 weeks,” Elliott said. “We’ve been very productive. We would be more so if we could get more vaccine. We’re ready to go to be out there sharing vaccines with our community partners and it is frustrating we’re not able to that vaccine to get it out there.”

This week’s clinic at River of Life Assembly in Hood River involves 650 doses, mostly second doses.

Elliott reported that the county has been setting up and using a new online scheduler with automated processes that will save us a lot of time and effort with scheduling and making sure we get recalls in in time.

Most local vaccines are distributed through health providers, and anyone who has a primary care provider (PCP) should contact that office. Those without a PCP should call 541-387-6911.

Safeway pharmacy in Hood River recently received its first allocation, 100 doses, under a separate vaccine pipeline provided by the federal government.

Elliott said One Community Health will receive 200 doses per week for clients living in Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties starting Feb. 22. (OCH has clinics in The Dalles and Hood River.)

“We are going to get at least 300 doses every week starting Feb. 22. We know we can at least count on parsing out that much to PCPs, but OCH will also be getting some and it will be great if Safeway will continue to get them, and to get as many people in these age groups vaccinated as soon as possible,” Elliott said.