‘Our systems were not built to handle this volume … We appreciate everyone’s patience’
BEND, Oregon. (KTVZ) – Deschutes County and the St. Charles Health System said on Monday that they plan to open the schedule for vaccine appointments Tuesday morning, but have acknowledged that their online and telephone systems are already giving way under pressure.
The Oregon Health Authority has allocated 2,340 first-dose vaccines of COVID-19 to Deschutes County for this week, 800 less than last week, when all scheduled times were scheduled at two hours. Following state guidance, adults aged 65 and over will now be eligible to schedule appointments.
From Tuesday at 9am, adults aged 65 and over can schedule a vaccine appointment:
- Connected: The easiest and fastest way to sign up for a consultation is to schedule it online at www.centraloregoncovidvaccine.com.
- If you are having trouble signing up online, watch this video, which describes the online scheduling registration process.
- By phone: If you don’t have access to a computer or don’t have someone who can help you sign up for an online appointment, call 541-699-5109. The team is available from 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week. Be prepared to wait on hold or call back, as this line is experiencing a high volume of calls.
“As it is happening consistently across the country, our vaccine supply is not enough to meet demand here in central Oregon, and our website and call center are both overwhelmed with the sheer volume of interest,” said Jeremiah Brickhouse, information director for the St. Charles Health System.
“Our systems are not designed to handle this volume, but we are actively working to resolve the issues. We cannot guarantee that the updates we’ve made so far will be enough to handle next week’s volume, but please be aware that we’ll continue to work on improvements in the future. We thank everyone for their patience. “
Nearly 40,000 Deschutes County residents age 65 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine. To date, about 15,000 residents aged 65 and older have received at least their first COVID-19 vaccine.
If weekly allocations do not increase, Deschutes County Health Services estimates that it may take until early May to be able to offer a first dose consultation to all residents aged 65 and over.
“Unfortunately, due to the limited supply of vaccine, not everyone who is eligible to receive a vaccine will be able to make an appointment this week,” said Dr. George Conway, Director of Health Services for Deschutes County. “With current allocations, it can take several weeks for all eligible to be scheduled.”
Governor Brown announced the next phases of vaccine sequencing. Phase 1B, Group 6 will include adults 45-64 with one or more underlying health conditions at increased risk, seasonal and migrant farm workers, shellfish gatherers and farm workers, food processing workers and people living in homes for low-income seniors, congregated and independent elderly people alive. This group will become eligible to receive the vaccine from 29 March.
Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
Some retail pharmacies in central Oregon are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible groups through the Federal COVID-19 Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. There will not be enough vaccines to vaccinate all eligible Oregonians in these locations due to limited supply. Appointments may be available by visiting https://vaccinefinder.org.
Vaccine eligibility
As of March 1, eligible groups include:
To determine if you are eligible for a vaccine, visit get vaccinated.oregon.gov.
Central Oregon residents in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties can apply here to be notified when they are eligible to receive the vaccine.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine in central Oregon
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