Tag: Multnomah County Public Health

Portland, Ore. – The newly formed West Coast Health Alliance released vaccine recommendations Wednesday, ahead of respiratory virus season. The Governors of Oregon, Washington, California and Hawaii formed the alliance after the Trump Administration delayed a decision on federal guidelines. They say the alliance recommendations are based on the best available science and input from trusted medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for anyone over the age of six months who wants it, and pharmacists in Oregon will be allowed to give the COVID shot without a prescription to people older than age seven.

While there have been concerns about the availability of the drugs, State Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger says the manufacturers are in the process of distributing the vaccines, “Supply from our manufacturers should not be a constraint, so we think that it will take just a matter of days and into next week before we hit a regular rhythm of people being able to get their vaccine.”

Public health offices around the state report receiving calls in recent weeks from Oregonians confused about if and where they can get a COVID shot. For them, Wednesday’s announcement from the West Coast Health Alliance was welcomed news. 

In Portland, Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno is pleased with the new recommendations, “With the federal efforts to dismantle, disinvest in prevention, I think it’s impingent upon our states, that this alliance is really poised to exercise states’ rights to really protect its residents.” He says the recommendations are based on science, “These are safe and effective vaccines that have been used for years across the world.”

Dr. Bruno believes the West Coast Health Alliance is improving vaccine access for Oregonians, “For us to be able to continue to offer them to people to protect them against COVID, which is already starting to rear its head, I think it’s a really important step for our states to do that and ally together to make those common recommendations.” But he admits there is still work ahead for public health officials, “We’ll be doing some messaging. We’ll also be sending out a clinician alert to about 12,000 physicians and physician associates here in our Multnomah County, as soon as we have good details on how to recommend where people go.” That messaging, he says, needs to also reduce confusion, “Saying, ‘look, you may have been told you can’t access the vaccine because you are 25 without any medical conditions.’ But, what I think the West Coast states are saying is, actually, for folks six months and older who desire the vaccine, they can continue to get access to it.”