Oregon Governor Kate Brown speeds up the schedule for some COVID-19 vaccinations

Oregon Governor Kate Brown is accelerating the timeline to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine to all people 65 and older, as well as child care providers and teachers and elementary and middle school staff.

The federal government announced on Tuesday that it is releasing full supply of vaccine doses to states, instead of withholding some and reducing the age of eligibility to 65.

Brown responded on Tuesday night, announcing that Oregon residents aged 65 and over and people working in schools and kindergartens can start receiving doses on January 23.

“Although this is an unexpected change in the course of the federal government, receiving more vaccines is good news for states,” said Brown in a written statement.

Oregon lagged behind other states and Brown’s own vaccine release target. The Oregon Health Authority is working with the National Guard and pharmacies to speed up receiving doses for eligible people in the first round – primarily health care providers, emergency workers and people in nursing homes and assisted living. The state has reported about 6,000 to 7,000 doses delivered per day; Brown wants that number up to 12,000.

In his statement on Wednesday, Brown said he was confident the system was improving. Still, she asked people who will be eligible in the next round to be patient. She blamed the Trump administration for part of the confusion.

“Please don’t call your doctor’s or health care professional’s office with questions about when you can be vaccinated,” said Brown. “Today’s news came without notice from the federal government. Oregon health care providers are working as quickly as humanly possible to change their vaccine distribution plans to meet this sudden change in national guidelines. “

Brown said he will reveal more details about Oregon’s accelerated distribution plan on Friday.