By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
Lincoln County Public Health is being forced to cancel two COVID-19 vaccine clinics Tuesday because it is getting a much smaller allocation of first doses than anticipated from the Oregon Health Authority.
First-dose clinics for people over 75 years of age scheduled Tuesday in Lincoln City and Newport are being cancelled because the county is receiving only 500 doses when it had been told to expect 900. And, the county announced Thursday night, those 500 doses will arrive on Tuesday because Monday is a federal holiday – too late for the two Tuesday clinics.
“These vaccine shipments are shipped directly from the federal distribution program and delivery is dependent upon their schedule,” the health department said in its announcement.
Some 53 people scheduled to get vaccinated Tuesday were contacted Thursday afternoon and asked to come to the clinic at the county fairgrounds in Newport when nurses were able to get more doses per vaccine vial and some people cancelled or did not show up.
It is the second time in the last three weeks that Lincoln County Public Health got surprised by vaccine shipments. Two weeks ago it had its entire allotment of 500 doses diverted to other counties that were lagging behind the state’s schedule to inoculate health care providers and educators. It got 900 doses this week and was told to expect the same next week.
“Something has happened … they (OHA) said there’s a whole supply chain issue,” said LCPH spokeswoman Susan Trachsel. “We don’t know what’s happening, so we can’t plan. It’s frustrating.”
The smaller shipment has not yet – so far — affected three days of clinics at the county fairgrounds in Newport where people are scheduled to get their second, or booster dose on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Those clinics are still on, said Trachsel, because the county is getting 700 doses for that second round but “which is still less than we thought.” Trachsel said the county will try to combine other doses – first and second doses are alike – to fulfill the second-dose clinics.
Trachsel said other Lincoln County providers such as Samaritan Health Systems’ two hospitals in Lincoln County and PacWest Ambulance are also not scheduled to receive vaccines next week.
Trachsel said another first-dose clinic for people over 75 at the North Lincoln Fire & Rescue station in Taft is still scheduled Thursday.
According to LCPH, 6,104 — or 12.6 percent — of Lincoln County residents have received their first or second doses; 4,047 with first doses and 2,057 fully vaccinated. Oregon’s vaccination rate is 10.8 percent, the U.S. rate is 10.9 percent.
The county estimates it has 28,000 inoculations to do out of a population of 48,000. Children under 18 cannot get a vaccine and health officials estimate 30 percent of adults will not want one.
Trachsel said the county has 7,698 people of all ages or occupations on its waiting list for vaccinations.
For vaccine information and scheduling, go to the Lincoln County Public Health website.