These 13 Oregon counties can start expanding vaccine access ahead of schedule

Continuing its plan to get doses of the vaccine in more arms across the state, the Oregon Health Authority announced Monday that 13 counties can begin giving doses to farm workers, homeless people and others. vulnerable populations.

The move follows Oregon’s announcement last week that it would speed up vaccination timelines to meet the Biden administration’s goal of making all adults eligible for a vaccine by May 1.

As part of the move, state health officials said counties that supplement eligible groups, such as the elderly, can ask the state to switch to groups that may not be. not yet eligible.

Thirteen counties in Oregon have applied for and received approval to proceed so far: Baker, Benton, Deschutes, Grant, Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Polk, Umatilla and Union .

These counties will now be able to enter phase 1b, cluster 6 of the immunization priorities, which includes adults aged 45 to 64 who have an underlying health problem, migrant and seasonal farm workers, agricultural workers and fruit seafarers, food processors, people homeless by forest fires, forest firefighters, pregnant women over 16 and people living in low-income settlements, gathered for the elderly and independent.

The state plans to update its Get Vaccinated Oregon online tool to reflect the changes.

People in other counties in Oregon who are in Phase 1b, Group 6 will largely have to wait until March 29, when that group becomes eligible for the statewide vaccine.

To date, the Oregon Health Authority reports that it has administered just over 1.5 million doses of the vaccine statewide.