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CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – Local authorities are working out the final details of a coronavirus vaccination event scheduled for the Jackson County Expo later this month. But with an increase in vaccine doses no longer expected from the federal government, the upcoming event will be reserved for groups in phase 1a.
The drive-in event is still scheduled for Jan. 21, 22, and 23 at the Expo, and several dozen National Guard members are expected to be on hand to help with all aspects of the initiative – from logistics to administration of vaccines.
Officials from Jackson County, Josephine County and Asante held a media briefing on Friday to review the still-evolving details of the event, with more slated for the near future.
According to Holly Nickerson, Asante’s vice president of quality and patient safety, a registration portal and necessary documents specific to this event will be available on their website starting Monday, January 18.
Eligible Phase 1a members – including healthcare workers, first responders, as well as residents and staff of long-term care facilities – are strongly encouraged to visit the site and have these materials prepared for the day. ‘advanced.
Earlier this week, there were indications that eligibility could be expanded to include people aged 65 and over, educators and child care workers. However, there has been no corresponding increase in doses to help local authorities make this a reality, and Jackson County confirmed on Friday that this first event will only affect Phase 1a.
When the event begins, people will go to a checkpoint to have their documents reviewed. They will be vaccinated while still in their vehicle, then driven to a waiting area for observation for 15 minutes or more to ensure there are no major allergic reactions.
Participants will receive a form stating that they received the first dose, along with details of how to receive a second dose in the following weeks.
The exact times for the event are still under discussion, but Asante said they expect it to be open around 8 hours a day.
Nickerson said Asante performs about 500 vaccinations a day in southern Oregon, every day of the week. The goal of the Expo event is to vaccinate 5,000 people over a three-day period.
A second similar event is scheduled for Josephine County on January 24-25, although the exact site and details are still being worked out. Officials hope to perform 3,000 vaccinations at the event, which could be open to educators.
The Jackson and Josephine County drive-in events will be supplied with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage. Nickerson said Asante staff are now well used to the process of storing and thawing vaccines and will have enough doses to use when needed.
As of Friday, it was still unclear whether residents of both counties will be able to receive a vaccine at either event, or whether they will be required to attend one in their own county.
There are about 20,000 people in phase 1a in Jackson County, according to public health officials, and more than 7,000 in Josephine County. Josephine County Public Health Director Mike Weber described widespread reluctance about the vaccine in parts of the county, even among the Phase 1a group – indicating that vaccinating 60 percent of this group could be a little exaggeration.
Jackson County health official Dr Jim Shames said he hoped he could soon expand immunizations to include the elderly and educators, as previously promised by state and federal officials – but with the latest revelation that shipping numbers have largely remained. stagnant, he didn’t feel comfortable making promises.
Asante said they currently have 7,000 doses of the vaccine on hand – just enough to supply the Jackson County event while performing daily vaccinations at their own facilities. Shames said he plans to continue receiving new shipments as they have for weeks, but the number does not reflect a local stock that could easily supply wider categories of people – especially as a growing number people are waiting for their second doses.
On Thursday, the Oregon Health Authority reported that 3,888 people had been vaccinated in Jackson County, of whom 991 had received a second dose. 1,132 people were vaccinated in Josephine County, of which only 136 received second doses.
Shames acknowledged Friday that the documentation on the number of vaccines administered locally lags in Oregon – as some state-level data suggests there are large numbers of vaccine doses in reserve, the partners locals actually face a margin of vaccines that have not yet been administered.
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