Where can I get the vaccine? It’s the question of the moment.
Since so many Oregonians are naturally looking to hospitals for answers, we want to let you know the details on how the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is working now that we are in the second month of distribution.
As the state’s eligibility priorities evolve and expand, vaccine hubs are also evolving and expanding beyond hospitals.
Right now most first doses are not going to hospitals directly. If you are eligible, please call 211 or your local health department for information on where to get make an appointment in your area. You can also log onto the OHA COVID resource website.
The Oregon Health Authority is allocating most of the vaccine to local public health, pharmaci es, community health centers, and large vaccination sites like the Oregon Convention Center.
Next week by the numbers:
Total new supply: 54,650 first doses
First doses sent to county health departments: 21,925
First doses to the Oregon Convention Center: 17,550
Vaccine sites do not have much time to plan since allocations for the week ahead come out the Thursday before. If you have made an appointment at a hospital only to have it postponed due to a lack of supply, this is the reason. If this has happened to you, we sincerely apologize, but hospitals are not deciding where the doses go.
We know how anxious people are to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As Governor Brown said, we do expect the supply to grow by 20% in the coming weeks, to around 70,000 doses per week.
Oregon’s hospitals are absolutely committed to doing whatever it takes to take care of you and your friends, neighbors and loved ones, and to work every day to get the vaccine to as many of our fellow Oregonians as possible.