By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
After a step-back last week to get more elderly people signed up for a COVID-19 shot, Lincoln County health officials say increases in supplies and a new clinic later this week should help more residents over 65 get inoculated.
Lincoln County Public Health and its partners are holding five first-dose clinics this week using 1,700 Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There are also three second-dose clinics scheduled with 900 vaccines. The new clinics — with 300 doses available each day — are scheduled Friday and Saturday morning on the Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital campus in Newport and will repeat each week.
But it was a step-back last Friday that upset some people age 65 to 74 who were eligible to be vaccinated and on the county’s waitlist, but were not notified of clinics this week. That’s because deputy health department director Florence Pourtal, who has been overseeing the clinics, said there were too many harder-to-reach people over 75 years of age the county was missing.
So, the county called hundreds of people over 75 who didn’t have an email address to tell them of clinic openings, then sent emails to 2,200 others over 75 who did have emails on file. There were 620 slots available. People over 65 weren’t notified.
“We’re trying to make sure the train is not going too fast,” Pourtal told YachatsNews on Monday. “Even though more people are becoming eligible, we still don’t have enough vaccines, and I wanted to make sure to try to notify those elderly who are more difficult to reach.
“It’s a fine line to walk,” she said. “You have to make decisions that are equitable.”
Pourtal said health providers are still vaccinating a lot of health care workers, educators and first responders who were hesitant to get a shot 4-6 weeks ago, but now are deciding to get one after seeing their success.
Other local vaccine developments this week include:
- Samaritan Health Systems will hold first-dose clinics starting at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Samaritan Center for Health Education, 740 S.W. Ninth St., Newport with 300 appointments available each morning. Lincoln County announced the availability Tuesday, but appointments have to be made by currently eligible people who also have — or set up as a guest — a MyChart account. Samaritan plans to hold the first-dose clinics every Friday and Saturday mornings if the supply of vaccines allow. Second dose clinics will be offered every Friday and Saturday afternoon beginning April 9, also by appointment only. People who are eligible and already on the county’s wait list will receive a sign-up link in their email. People already on the county wait list and need help signing up for the Samaritan clinic may call the SHS vaccine scheduling assistance line at 855-441-2311.
- Overall, Lincoln County providers – including pharmacies – expect to get 2,400 first doses of vaccines starting March 22 via the Oregon Health Authority. That’s 700 more than this week. “That’s an increase, not a tremendous increase, but an increase,” Pourtal said.
Brett Gnaw of PacWest Ambulance loads a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. PacWest will staff a clinic opening March 25 in Waldport. - A county-organized vaccination clinic will open Thursday, March 25, at the Waldport Community Center, 265 N.W. Hemlock St. It will run from noon to 7 p.m. A second clinic on Saturdays is planned — if vaccine supplies increase. The clinic will be staffed by PacWest Ambulance.
- Pharmacies in Lincoln County – Safeway, BiMart, and HiSchool in Waldport, have 400 doses this week. Appointments are made through their company websites.
- As of Monday, there have been 9,708 people vaccinated in Lincoln County – 4,651 with a first dose and 5,057 with both doses. The county expects to vaccinate 28,000 people over the age of 18, out of a population of 48,000.
- There are 9,650 people on the county’s vaccine waiting list, after a cleanup last week removed 5,000 people who had gotten vaccines elsewhere, or had double-registered.
- The health department received 100 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week. Because it is a one-dose vaccine, Pourtal said it is being used for people less likely to sign up on the waitlist or get a second dose, including people in jail, the homeless, or the homebound.
- The health department is beginning to plan specialized clinics at large workplaces such as the seafood processing plants in Newport when those workers become eligible in late March, Pourtal said. It also hopes to work with North Lincoln Fire & Rescue to use its station in Otis for a clinic there.
- The health department is working with three home health agencies to provide them with vaccines to take to their homebound clients.
How to navigate the system and find your shot
Lincoln County Public Health knows the sign-up process can be difficult. The county has set up a call center — 541-265-0621 — with five employees to assist people by phone in English and Spanish. There are limited phone lines in the county system, so some callers are experiencing delays or dropped calls. The county is spending $11,000 to add more phone lines to its call center, but the new lines won’t start going in until March 17.
More information can be found on the county’s website or by emailing the county at LincolnCoCallCenter@co.lincoln.or.us
Calls can also be made to the statewide help line at 2-1-1 or to the Samaritan vaccination scheduling assistance line at 855-441-2311.
Public Health officials are also asking that friends, family and neighbors of eligible people help them sign up for the vaccine. Public Health has an outreach video for partners or the public who want to help people sign up for the vaccine. The video is an hour, but has links to topics that may be of interest.
The county-organized clinics are just one opportunity to get a vaccine. Some other options are:
Statewide Vaccine Information to view eligibility requirements and see clinics available around the state;
Linn & Benton County vaccination events through Samaritan Health Services (open to Lincoln County residents);
Safeway Pharmacy – Only open to eligible groups. Located in Newport and Lincoln City;
BiMart Pharmacy – Vaccines coming soon to its Lincoln City store;
HiSchool Pharmacy, Waldport: Scheduled to get vaccines soon.
Costco Pharmacy – Located in Albany, Aloha, Bend, Central Point, Clackamas, Eugene, Hillsboro, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, Tigard, Warrenton, and Wilsonville;
Salem Health Clinics (State Fairgrounds) – Open to anyone with a MyChart account. If no appointments slots appear on MyChart, that means all available appointments have been filled. Check back on MyChart regularly to see if additional appointments have opened.