“If it affects the death of older people, is it a good trade-off?”
BEND, Oregon. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Health Authority recently announced that seniors aged 80 and over will be eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from February 8, with other age groups set to follow in the coming weeks.
But the agency also said this week that there will not be enough vaccine doses to meet demand, which can only add fuel to the fire of frustration that many elderly people have felt in the past weeks and months.
NewsChannel 21 heard directly from a handful of elderly people who expressed their frustration at the vaccine’s launch, such as Bill Gawlowksi.
“I know it is difficult, we are not getting vaccines fast enough,” he said. I just feel like the elderly are being kicked to the curb, so to speak. ”
Gawlowski said he understood that the vaccine was being distributed to health professionals first, but he did not agree with the following groups, given the high mortality rate among the elderly. Notably, he cited teachers and school staff, who were vaccinated before most seniors.
“As far as schools are concerned, I also have grandchildren in schools and, absolutely, schools are essential for these children to go back there,” said Gawlowski. But, again, the end result is: if it harms the death of older people, is that a good exchange? ”
There are about 105,000 educators in Oregon, just over 12,000 inmates – and more than 700,000 people over 65.
Deschutes County Public Health Services told NewsChannel 21 that they do not yet know how many vaccines they will allocate for the coming week.
“In the week that started on February 1, we did not receive any first dose allocation from the Oregon Health Authority,” said spokesman Morgan Emerson. “We are waiting to find out what our allocation for next week will be, if any.”
Emerson explained how those who want to get vaccinated can start the process.
“You can sign up at vaccine.deschutes.org to be notified when you are eligible to schedule an appointment and receive information on how to schedule it,” said Emerson.
And for those with limited transportation, trying to get to the fairground in Redmond, where vaccines are taking place?
“If you have Medicare or a health insurance plan that covers medical transportation, you can use this benefit to schedule a trip to the Fair and Exhibition Center for consultations,” said Emerson.