Why Oregon still can’t tell when to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Every week, we seem to be working on the latest existential “COVID-19 and me” questions. Early on, I was asked, “Do I need to wipe out Amazon’s boxes?” And, “How can I get kindergarten children to participate in the zoom call with my teacher?”

A big coronavirus question recently asked by OPB reporters is “when to get the vaccine”.

Simply put, we can’t really say. Oregon Health Department Vaccine Advisory Board, Diverse groups of public health professionals Community representatives from 400 applicants across Oregon met for the first time on Thursday and then decided who would be vaccinated in what order. So far, no decision has been made.

The longer answer for Oregons is: Distribution issues at the federal level and logistics challenges at the local level have delayed state development and delayed further planning. Oregon was to vaccinate 100,000 people by December 31st. As of Friday, November 8th, Oregon Just two-thirds of the road To that goal. And with more than 300,000 healthcare workers in the state, there’s a long way to go.

But it’s much more complicated than that. And it doesn’t help much if you say “I don’t know”. So we answer all your questions as to what we know and why there are still so many in the air. Are most of them a little weird and essential in baseball? Yeah, hey.

Are vaccinations in Oregon slower than in other states?

According to the Oregon Department of Health, Oregon is in the midst of a state vaccination effort. At the end of last week, 1.5% of Oregon’s total population was vaccinated. Forty states, Washington DC, and the District of Columbia immunize a higher proportion of the population than Oregon.

The number of vaccines that the state obtains depends primarily on the federal government upon arrival. But that alone cannot explain why Oregon is slow to deploy.

Another indicator is to look at the vaccination coverage of the vaccine given. On Friday, Oregon was ranked 36th.So far, Oregon Less than a quarter of the vaccination received..

How do I know when to get vaccinated?

First, you need to know which phase of rollout you may be vaccinated against. It is divided into four phases and several subphases.

Who came up with the phase?

The vaccine deployment phase was designed by the CDC Vaccination Implementation Advisory Board. This advisory board is made up of virologists, outbreak experts, and medical ethicists. They have issued recommendations to the states to follow at each stage of vaccine deployment.

This is the CDC Advisory Board Recommended The state vaccinates at each stage:

• Phase 1: Frontline workers and high-risk people.
• Phases 2, 3, and 4: Not decided yet. The Immunization Implementation Advisory Board has not yet issued a recommendation. It is no exaggeration to say that it will take several months to get the vaccine if it is not included in Phase 1.

Phase 1 is divided into several subphases, which are groups of people currently vaccinated.

Who decides who is at what stage?

The ACIP makes recommendations on who and when to vaccinate, but ultimately the state has the authority to decide who and when to vaccinate. To further confuse, individual hospital systems and county health programs may have additional priorities and strategies for administering vaccines.

That is, not two states immunize people in the same way. There are similarities. While all states follow the recommendations of the CDC Immunization Advisory Board to some extent, each state has the option of defining “front-line workers” and “people in existing conditions.” The Commission also issued guidance on how to prioritize people at each stage.

Oregon has a Vaccine Advisory Board, which meets regularly to determine the best way to follow Oregon’s federal recommendations. Who and when will the CDC Advisory Board recommend vaccination in Phase 1?

Divide Phase 1 into three groups. Phases 1a, 1b, 1c.

Phase 1a is for healthcare professionals, residents, and long-term care facility staff. The state can define these terms in any way you choose.

Phase 1b includes frontline workers (different definitions than key workers) and people over the age of 75.The federal government has about people over the age of 65 15% of the US population, But 80% of all deaths from COVID-19.. By prioritizing the elderly, many deaths can be avoided.

Phase 1c includes “key workers”, people aged 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions, and people aged 65 and over.

The Immunization Implementation Advisory Board recommends that everyone else be vaccinated in a separate group.

The Commission defines “essential workers” as workers who need work to maintain state and state operations. Frontline workers are an essential subgroup of workers who are in close contact with other people. So, for example, utility maintenance specialists are considered essential, but grocery cashiers are essential and at the forefront. Cashiers are most likely to get sick and are vaccinated first.

How are Oregon’s plans different from federal recommendations?

Oregon has adopted some major variations from federal recommendations compared to other states.

Phase 1a involves healthcare professionals who have direct contact with the patient. Unlike some states, Oregon prioritizes non-medical hospital staff such as tidyers, janitor, and cafeteria workers in Phase 1a, along with doctors and nurses. Hospital office staff and managers should not be vaccinated in Phase 1a, but nonetheless do not prevent over-vaccinated local hospitals from providing them. Oregon also includes Group 1a home health care workers.

Controversial, correctional workers are included in Phase 1a, but those imprisoned are not.To avoid Proceedings, Oregon allows imprisoned people to be vaccinated in Phase 1b.

Relation: Oregon faces an unstable legal position as COVID-19 progresses in prison proceedings

Phase 1b of Oregon includes front-line essential workers and people over the age of 75. Oregon was one of the first states to emphasize immunization of teachers in Phase 1b when Oregon Governor Kate Brown demanded a “first line” from teachers to assist in school assistance. Resume.

At a press conference on Friday, Brown confirmed that teachers would be a top priority in the next vaccination round. It is ahead of people over 75 years old.

Who are we vaccinated now?

We are vaccinated in Phase 1a. Initially, Oregon sought to prioritize groups within Phase 1a, so emergency staff and staff dealing with high-risk patients were first vaccinated. However, triage turned out to be a challenge and delayed deployment. Currently, all members of Phase 1a are vaccinated.

There are more than 300,000 people in Phase 1a, and Oregon has passed only a small part of it. Initially, Oregon planned to start immunizing people in Phase 1b by mid-January, but now it seems unlikely that 1b will start here before February.

Oregon Health officials were reluctant to set a firm date for the next wave of vaccination because of unpredictable delivery of vaccines and inconsistent information from federal agencies.

Are other states still stuck in Phase 1a?

Many other states, including Washington and Arizona, are trying to or have already started immunizing people in Phase 1b. Some are on track to finish the stage before Oregon begins.

What is Oregon doing to accelerate the deployment of vaccines?

Everyone in Phase 1a, that is, all health care workers and long-term care workers, can now be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, three-quarters of Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccine was not given. By expanding the pool of qualified people, the Oregon Department of Health wants to speed up the process.

OHA has also expanded its pharmacy program and partnered with unions and other organizations to Put the vaccine in more weapons.

How does Oregon prioritize people in Phase 1b? Who will be vaccinated first? teacher? Or are you old?

At least for now, I’m still not sure.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown urged the Oregon Department of Health to prioritize teachers at the beginning of Phase 1b. This would be in direct conflict with ACIP’s recommendations suggesting that workers over the age of 75 should be prioritized over front-line workers.

It was initially unclear whether teachers would be vaccinated at the same time as older, high-risk individuals. As controversial, it doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Governor Brown made it clear on Friday that teachers would be vaccinated before any other group.

Relation: Governor Kate Brown wants Oregon children to return to campus on February 15, but by then many teachers will not be vaccinated.

The Oregon Vaccine Advisory Board met on Thursday to determine how to prioritize people within each group. They were told to consider the best way to delay the spread of the virus quickly, while ensuring that the distribution is fair and meets the needs of the communities they represent.

Many members expressed concern about the speed of vaccine deployment and the balance between the urgency of the situation and the desire to take the next step correctly.

Muriel DeLa Vergne-Brown, director of the Crook County Health Department, encouraged members to give local county health authorities the flexibility to vaccinate in random order, especially if there are unused vaccines. Representatives of other small communities said this flexibility would help them vaccinate faster and waste smaller doses.

Still, no decision was made and the Commission did not pass their full agenda before the meeting was over. The group was planning to have a meeting every Thursday, but they have a lot to do and have little time, so they want to schedule additional meetings sooner. At a press conference on Friday, OHA director Patrick Allen said he hopes the Vaccine Advisory Board will complete Phase 1b work by the end of the month.

Conclusion:

Vaccine deployments will look different in all communities and in all healthcare systems. Depending on the amount of vaccine available locally, some areas may move much faster than others. Rural areas will also move much faster than urban areas.

Vaccine deployment plans are in flux. Once the decision is made, they are not solid, as Tuesday’s decision to open vaccination to all in Phase 1a showed.

So when do you get the vaccine? Unless you work in healthcare, the simplest answer remains: “yet.”