PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More Oregonians are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including an additional group Governor Kate Brown announced on Friday.
Starting Monday, vaccine eligibility will expand to those in Phase 1b, Group 7 of Oregon’s distribution plan. This includes frontline workers and all Oregonians with underlying health conditions. On Friday, Gov. Brown announced families of frontline workers are now included in the group, as well.
Oregon’s Phase 1b, Group 7:
- Frontline workers as defined by the CDC
- Families of frontline workers
- Multigenerational household members
- Adults 16 and older with underlying health conditions
However, appointment slots do go quickly. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t immediately snag one — keep checking back for openings throughout the week.
You can schedule your appointment online. At OHSU, appointments are currently released Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. Use OHSU’s COVID Vaccine Tool at that time for the best chance of getting an appointment.
Plus, we have a full list of vaccine clinics and other pharmacies here.
At your first appointment, they will schedule your second shot. The shots are free, but your insurance may be billed to help cover the cost of administering the shot.
This latest eligibility wave comes as COVID cases in Oregon continue to climb. Brown warned that a fourth surge is at the doorstep.
“Make no mistake, this is a race between the vaccines and the variants. It’s a critical moment for us all to double down to outrun this next wave,” Brown said.
State Health Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger also expressed concern about the recent uptick in COVID cases in the state.
“We are seeing lately an increase in daily cases and a corresponding uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations,” he said. “For the month of March, hospitalizations have increased by 17%. Our rolling 7-day average has increased by 22%, to 392 daily cases, as of April 1.”
As many as 30 thousand vaccine doses are being administered each day in Oregon. The state aims to open vaccine eligibility to everyone by May 1, but vaccine delivery delays may cause longer wait times for a vaccine.
Last Monday, Group 6 in Phase 1b of Oregon’s vaccine rollout plan became eligible for the shot. This group included people who are considered at a higher risk for a serious COVID-19 infection, such as people 45 years old or older with underlying health conditions, seasonal farm and agricultural workers, people in low-income senior housing and houseless people.