Governor Kate Brown held a press conference today to provide an update on the status of COVID-19 in Oregon, and to urge Oregonians to make a plan to get vaccinated. The Governor was joined by Patrick Allen, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Director, and Dr. Dean Sidelinger, State Epidemiologist.
“Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself against serious illness and death from COVID-19,” said Governor Brown. “They are the best way to protect yourself from variants. And they are the key to unlocking the restrictions this pandemic has forced on us, so we can return to doing the things we love and seeing the people we miss.
“This Monday, vaccine eligibility will open up to everyone age 16 and older. If you haven’t already had a chance to get vaccinated, make a plan to do so now. Tell your loved ones and neighbors you plan to get vaccinated, and share your reason why. And if you have already signed up for an appointment, help a friend sign up, too.
“And as our friends, family members, and neighbors await their vaccine, it’s critical we all work together to keep them safe. Let’s not forget the basics: wear your mask, limit gatherings—especially with friends and family who aren’t fully vaccinated—and maintain social distance.
“With almost one in four Oregonians fully vaccinated, every day we are getting closer to reaching the community protection we need from this virus. We must keep our eyes on the horizon, and honor the personal responsibility we all share to follow public health safety measures.”
Here’s how to get an appointment if you live in counties in and around the Portland area, including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia:
- Go online at www.ohsu.edu/covidvaccines at 9 a.m. “most weekdays,” when OHSU releases thousands of appointments for scheduling. Available locations include the drive-thru sites at Portland International Airport and Hillsboro Stadium, but occasionally some smaller OHSU indoor clinics. Last week, about 17,000 appointments were released. This week OHSU expects it’ll be about 22,000. For people without internet access, OHSU can book appointments by phone at 833-647-8222.
- Register at getvaccinated.oregon.gov, which will enter you into a lottery. As of Friday, more than 480,000 Portland area residents had signed up. Names are drawn every Monday for appointments at the Oregon Convention Center. Last week, the vaccination site sent 40,000 residents electronic invitations to book appointments, but only 13,000 had scheduled as of Friday morning. That could be an indicator that many people in the lottery already had booked appointments or received shots elsewhere.
- If you register at getvaccinated.oregon.gov, you also might receive emails about nearby vaccination clinics that have appointments available for booking.
- Go to vaccinefinder.org or vaccinespotter.org, which provide links to pharmacies with available appointments. Or visit covidvaccine.oregon.gov and click on “Vaccine Information by County” to learn if you can book appointments in other areas of the state, outside your county.
