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Administrators at a large COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Salem shut it down for three of its first 12 days of operation, highlighting the challenges that could await an even larger business that is slated to open in Portland on Wednesday.
As of Saturday, the clinic run by Salem Health at the Oregon State Fairgrounds had administered 18,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines during nine days of operations, or about 2,078 doses per day.
That works out to 223 vaccinations per hour, less than the hourly target of 250 Oregonians who Governor Kate Brown said could be vaccinated at the site. And the facility’s limited hours, averaging just nine a day, excluding the three-day shutdown, come as states like Arizona operate two clinics that operate 24/7. (A New York Times analysis, however, indicated Arizona had a greater share of unused doses than Oregon last week.)
The Salem clinic closed on January 11, four days after it opened, due to limited inventory and fears that the clinic may have to turn away people who had traveled for vaccinations. It closed again on Jan. 17 and 18 for rest and planning purposes, officials said.
Michael Gay, a spokesperson for Salem Health, said last week that the hospital group is working well on a new initiative. “When all goes well, we can vaccinate up to 410 per hour, but that depends on a number of different factors, including the volume of vaccine applicants, the number of people using MyChart and the stability of our technology tools. He said last week.
Until this week, the Salem clinic was the largest in Oregon, followed by a smaller effort by Salem Health in Polk County. In Salem alone, immunization volume equates to nearly one in ten state-reported vaccinations as of Saturday, although state immunization figures are lagging behind.
A similar – and potentially much larger – effort will begin Wednesday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. It will be operated by Portland’s four largest healthcare entities – Providence Health & Systems, Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Oregon Health & Science University.
Mike Foley, a spokesperson for Kaiser who speaks for the collaborative effort, said the health giants went to the fairground “to find out what Salem Health is doing,” but declined to provide details.
Foley said Kaiser also organized his own smaller-scale clinic over the weekend to prepare for and rejoice in the results. The effort at its Tualatin office has vaccinated about 3,000 people in two days.
Foley said the new convention center clinic would be by appointment only and that he expected to release more information on Wednesday.
Foley confirmed that health care groups were in contact with school districts, whose employees were prioritized over seniors by Brown and state health officials. Vaccinations for teachers are expected to start Monday on Brown’s schedule.
It is not immediately clear what enforcement mechanisms will exist at the Portland clinic. In Salem, the clinic has operated largely under an honor system, with some notable inconsistencies in eligibility.
The Salem Clinic is open to anyone in the state’s Phase 1A group, which includes healthcare workers and long-term care residents, but these individuals are not required to provide a room. ‘identity indicating that they are eligible. Gay said the “self-certification” eligibility system “won’t be perfect” and “relies on the integrity of Oregonians to meet phasing guidelines.”
Gay said Salem Health couldn’t specify how many people had played with the system, and he didn’t respond if the healthcare group cares if people are vaccinated earlier than is allowed. Anyone who has received a first dose is eligible to receive a second, he added.
The Salem Reporter documented several examples of lax screening, allowing people to get the vaccine. In one case, a music teacher in his 60s at Chemeketa Community College was able to receive a vaccine without asking questions.
In response to questions about the flaws in the process, Gay responded by email, “Due to careful planning and timing for the dose collection, especially towards the end of the immunization clinic’s opening hours, no dose of vaccine was not wasted. Due to self-attestation, we cannot quantify the number of people who may have fallen outside of the current OHA Phase 1a level.
The Salem clinic relied on National Guard workers to help meet the demand, a request that was made by health executives and later touted at a press conference at the governor’s office .
Stephen Bomar, director of public affairs for the Oregon Military Department, said the National Guard will remain in place in Salem and elsewhere for the months to come.
Gay said the National Guard was still helping administer vaccines and the clinic would be open “as long as there are vaccines available.”
“It has been fun and encouraging to see people filled with hope,” Gay said in an email. “Tears are commonplace.”
– Andrew Theen; [email protected]; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen
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