Signs are emerging that Covid-19 vaccinations, after bogging down in the initial weeks, are picking up steam.
Initial efforts focused just on patient-facing employees at the major hospital systems and residents and staff at nursing homes. To get to Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of 12,000 vaccinations per day, the Oregon Health Authority decided allow health care workers in various settings to receive the vaccine, rather than following a specific sequence.
Putting that new approach plan into practice hasn’t happened as swiftly as many would have hoped. Independent medical clinics complained earlier this week of a lack of urgency on OHA’s part.
Since then, Providence Health & Services stepped up to provide the Oregon Independent Medical Coalition with 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine as part of a pilot program to vaccinate health care workers outside of hospital systems. The state made Providence, which has vaccinated more than 17,000 of its caregivers, a vaccine hub for independent clinics.
The Portland Clinic, Women’s Healthcare Associates and the Broadway Clinic plan to dispense shots to staffers on Saturday, said Dick Clark, CEO of The Portland Clinic. He anticipates receiving another 1,400 doses from Providence next week.
“If we can get nearly 2,000 patient-facing employees outside of the hospitals vaccinated, this is shoring up the defense against Covid and will serve the general population health needs of the Portland area,” Clark said.
Salem Health, in partnership with Marion County Public Health, is using the Oregon State Fairgrounds and Expo Center for vaccine clinics for people in the county in the Phase 1a categories. Brown said Friday she has deployed the National Guard to give logistical and nursing support. The goal is to do 250 vaccinations per hour. OHA is distributing 10,000 doses of the vaccine to Salem Health next week.
“This is how we’re going to achieve a critical mass,” Brown said.
So far, 74,914 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been administered in Oregon out of the 252,350 delivered to the state. Nearly 7,500 were recorded Friday, about 4,500 shy of the governor's daily goal. Oregon sits in the middle of the pack among states, at a vaccination rate of 1.5% of the population, said OHA Director Patrick Allen.
Allen said pharmacies will be receiving 19,500 doses next week for staff and residents in congregate care settings, including assisted living facilities, adult foster homes and residential treatment facilities.
There's more. OHSU is piloting drive-through vaccination clinics for home health care workers, first responders and community health workers, starting this weekend. Zoom+Care expects to have 900 doses available starting next week at its neighborhood clinics.
And discussions are underway between the coalition of independent clinics and the Oregon Medical Association to ensure fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine, Clark said.
“When everything was concentrated in hospitals, it was like all the cars commuting downtown only using I-84, and now we’re starting to use other highways, starting to open up with other options,” Clark said. “It doesn’t come a moment too soon. I’m starting to get calls from patients asking when they can get vaccinated.”
After Phase 1a, the next groups will include educators, child care providers and other early childhood education and school personnel.