Some people get the COVID-19 vaccine early in Deschutes County | Coronavirus

Nothing makes Anne Yost happier than vaccination against COVID-19.

At the age of 65, she has nowhere close to qualification.Still, she hears from a friend and reads the news reports of others who were able to slip under the vaccine guidance radar established by

Obtain a dose of COVID-19 vaccine with the Oregon Department of Health.

“If they need an arm for an additional dose, I would rather want them to take mine and throw it,” said Bend resident Yost. “I don’t want to drive to other counties and become a vaccinated person. In some places, I’ve heard that you can get vaccinated just by appearing.

“Here, the problem is waiting for a shot outside at 18 degrees. I think I’ll just wait. Maybe I can meet my grandson.”

Deschutes County is one of many counties in the state that has moved to the next level through first responders and teachers, while other counties are delayed due to access or limited immunization supply.

Due to this injustice, the Oregon Department of Health announced on Friday that it would limit the number of doses to more advanced counties. Governor’s schedule Oregon Health Director Patrick Allen said at a news conference that the first doses of these would be directed to the county later than planned.

Healthcare providers who are vaccinated also want to ensure that the vaccine is not wasted. As a result, some Central Oregons are vaccinated earlier than planned.

Deschutes County, Jefferson County, and Crook County are among the 18 counties where the supply of first-time vaccines will be restricted next week, with 13 counties increasing supply to increase vaccination coverage. Deschutes County confirmed on Friday that only a second dose would be given after Saturday. No new vaccine will arrive in Deschutes County and no new vaccine will be given. Morgan Emerson, a spokeswoman for the Deschutes County Health Service, said only a second dose would be given.

“The counties do not move a certain percentage of eligible groups, and some counties immunize more people than others for a variety of reasons,” Allen said.

To date, the state has vaccinated 6.8% of the population, Allen said. At current vaccination rates, he said, it would take 14 weeks for the state to vaccinate 1.2 million people.

Hospitals and medical groups in Central Oregon say they haven’t wasted a single drop of vaccine. In the St. Charles Health System, if there is extra from the Vaccine Clinic at the Deschutz County Fair & Expo Center, it will be returned to Bend’s hospital and handed over to the patient, said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Goodman. ..

In High Lakes Healthcare, if there are additional doses, the clinic will contact other new medical professionals in the town that needs a second dose, says Dr. Jessica Morgan, High Lakes Health Director. I did.

“If pushes come in, I’ll never waste a breath,” Morgan said in an email. “I contacted and scheduled patients in Group 1B (75+), but this is very rare and is currently 1 or 2 (dose).”

Recently, residents of Bend, who did not want his name to be used, said they had heard from their neighbors that they needed to disperse 40 doses of the modelna vaccine before they got worse. Long before the governor gave the county permission to vaccinate people over the age of 75, he and several neighbors all went to get the first dose of the vaccine on Saturday, January.

Others were vaccinated when they accompanied their elderly parents.

During the recent storm that caused traffic congestion on Interstate 5, medical professionals took six doses that expired before arriving at their destination, giving them to those stuck on the highway. Issued. According to media reports..

According to Deschutes County Health Service Emerson, if people arrive at the vaccine clinic without a reservation, the county will not vaccinate them. Reservations are required.

“I’ve heard rumors of something like a list at the end of the day, but the only way to get vaccinated is to make an appointment,” Emerson said.

Only those who are eligible according to the governor’s step-by-step approach are eligible. According to Emerson, people need to prove that they belong to eligible groups: Phase 1A and Phase 1B, Groups 1-3. Qualified persons through the employer are required to bring proof of employment. She said that those who qualify based on age are required to bring proof of age.

To ensure that qualified Central Oregons have access to vaccines, county health officials have created an online form of vaccine interest to notify residents when they are eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment.

According to county data collected on Thursday, 7,966 people have been vaccinated since the vaccine clinic opened at the Deschutz County Fair & Expo Center on January 20. Of these, 7,816 were residents of Central Oregon.

“This is in line with what we expect, as some people have recently moved to this area and may be splitting the time between Central Oregon and another Oregon area.” Emerson said. “(The) St. Charles Health System serves locals who can extend beyond the Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties.”

Yost said he had contacted his primary care physician several times and said he was not qualified each time.

“I’ve had my doctor call me many times and I’ve heard from a friend who is calling him,” says Yost. “Some people have called the same clinic many times to get the vaccine, but it’s in California.”