After some “hard levying”-- Lane County Public Health announced Tuesday, they will receive a significantly larger weekly allocation of COVID-19 vaccine from the state.
4,600 doses will go directly to Public Health this week to continue vaccinating priority groups in Phase A. Also, three hospitals in the county --McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, PeaceHealth RiverBend Medical Center, both in Springfield and Peace Harbor hospital in Florence-- will share 8,025 doses.
This announcement follows last week’s abysmal news of the lack of federal stockpiles of vaccine and the meager 100 doses allocated to Lane County. Spokesperson Jason Davis said
“I think the state heard us loud and clear that we were ready to do many more vaccines than they were sending us.”
At a mass vax clinic in Eugene last weekend, 1,670 people in groups 2 and 3 received their first shot. Davis said the event went smoothly and insists the county is well prepared to administer all the doses received. They just need to keep coming.
Davis said the county is in talks with the National Guard and planning for much larger vaccination clinics in the coming weeks. This added support of clinic coordination and vaccine administering will help accommodate more priority groups.
Brown has said childcare, pre-school and K-12 school employees may start receiving the vaccine on January 25th. Oregonians over the age of 80 can now expect to be vaccinated beginning Feb. 8. The state will make vaccines available to 75-year-olds the subsequent week, 70-year-olds the following week, and 65-year-olds the next.
So far, 12,926 Lane County residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19. While this is progress, Davis warned it is “well below where we need to be.” There are more than 30,000 people in Group A1 alone.
