STATE
6A — THE OBSERVER
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021
Oregon health offi cials work to shrink vaccine disparity
State epidemiologist
says social
gatherings led to
recent outbreaks
By SUZANNE ROIG
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — The Oregon
Health Authority will
deploy vaccination vans
to hard-to-reach commu-
nities as a way to elimi-
nate the disparities cre-
ated between those with
easy access to COVID-19
vaccines and those facing
barriers.
This comes at a time
when daily case counts
of COVID-19 have more
than doubled in just
over a month, Dr. Dean
Sidelinger, Oregon Health
Authority state epidemi-
ologist, said Friday at a
press conference.
As of Friday, April
16, Oregon had 173,626
COVID-19 cases,
Sidelinger said. On March
6 the seven-day average
number of cases was 249,
but now the daily average
is 595 cases.
COVID-19 cases have
increased more than
20% for each of the past
three weeks, Sidelinger
said. With such high case
counts, more counties
have shifted from lower
risk levels to more restric-
tive levels. At the end of
March, 28 counties were
in the lower to moderate
risk tiers. On Friday there
were 22 counties listed as
lower or moderate risk.
“We’re all tired of
fi ghting COVID-19,”
OSU names
new interim
president,
fi rst woman
in role
Associated Press
CORVALLIS — Oregon
State University’s Board
of Trustees confi rmed the
university’s new interim
president.
Becky Johnson, con-
fi rmed Friday, April 16, is
currently the vice president
of OSU Cascades — the
university’s Bend campus,
Oregon Public Broad-
casting reported. She will
resign from that position to
step into her role leading
the entire university.
Johnson was nominated
through a two-week pro-
cess in which the board
solicited input from the
OSU faculty, students and
staff , as well as outside
stakeholders and commu-
nity members. She will be
the university’s fi rst female
president.
Johnson has worked at
Oregon State since 1984
when she began as an asso-
ciate professor in the col-
lege of forestry. She will
serve as president starting
in May for about a year, or
until a permanent president
is selected.
At the Friday meeting,
Johnson discussed chal-
lenges of the past year
including the pandemic,
ongoing violence spurred
from systemic racism,
“and of course, our own
university presidential sit-
uation caused disruption,
signifi cant hurt and aware-
ness of interpersonal vio-
lence that impacts many
in our community and
society.”
She replaces former
OSU President F. King
Alexander, who resigned
last month after reports of
mishandled sexual miscon-
duct at his previous univer-
sity — Louisiana State.
Johnson said rebuilding
the trust many felt Alex-
ander broke will be a large
part of her job.
“I think it starts with
listening and building rela-
tionships across campus,”
she said. “And really being
committed to shared gover-
nance as we move forward
with decisions and actions
from the university.”
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin, File
Kerry Gillette, a physician assistant with Mosaic Medical, Bend, fi lls sy-
ringes with the Moderna vaccine during a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at
Bethlehem Inn in Bend on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. The Oregon Health Au-
thority on Friday, April 16, 2021, announced it will deploy vaccination vans
to hard-to-reach communities.
Sidelinger said. “Tired of
wearing our masks. Tired
of missing our loved ones.
And tired of keeping our
distance. But we must all
continue to fi ght.”
Sidelinger highlighted
three social gatherings that
caused recent outbreaks: a
multi-night karaoke event
that caused 36 people to
test positive, hospitalized
three and left one person
dead; a small indoor con-
cert that caused 15 people
to test positive for COVID-
19; and a backyard gath-
ering where all 10 people
who attended tested posi-
tive for COVID-19.
Since December, 3 in 4
seniors 65 and older have
been vaccinated. Starting
Monday, April 19, anyone
16 and older can sign up
for a vaccination.
Oregon Health
Authority data high-
lights a vaccine disparity
between white Orego-
sent out to rural commu-
nities to vaccinate those
interested, Allen said.
“As a state we can and
need to do better,” Allen
said. “Vaccinations in
Oregon have not been
administered as equi-
tably as they need to be.
The numbers are stark and
clear. For too many people
race and income are pre-
dictors of whether you can
access a COVID-19 vac-
cine or not.”
Vaccine disparity is a
national issue that cannot
rely upon just a speedy
rollout of vaccine delivery
systems such as through
the Oregon Convention
Center, the Salem fair-
grounds or the Deschutes
County Fair & Expo
Center, although they play
an important role, Allen
said. The vans will enable
the vaccines to get to com-
munities directly.
As of Thursday, 1.5
million Oregonians
received at least one
dose of the vaccine. But
because of concerns about
rare blot clots, the state has
halted the use of the one-
dose Johnson & Johnson
COVID-19 vaccine. Ear-
lier in the week, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention urged
states to temporarily stop
using the vaccine given to
6.8 million people after six
women who received the
vaccine became seriously
ill and one died.
That halt means Oregon
will have 70,000 fewer
vaccines available each
week, Allen said.
— Oregon Capital
Bureau reporter Gary A.
Warner contributed to this
nians and Latinos in par-
ticular. About 75% of
Oregonians are white
but white people account
for 50% of COVID-19
cases and 71% of vaccina-
tions. About 13% of Ore-
gonians are Hispanic or
Latino, but they make up
25% of COVID-19 cases
and account for 6% of
vaccinations.
A driver in the vaccine
disparity is that Latinos in
Oregon tend to be younger
and often don’t work in the
kind of jobs that had early
access to vaccines.
The state has sent addi-
tional vaccines to federally
qualifi ed health centers,
targeted migrant workers
and worked with 170 com-
munity partners, and still
access hasn’t been bal-
anced, said Patrick Allen,
Oregon Health Authority
director, at a press confer-
ence Friday. Because it’s
not enough, vans will be
FIELD TEST Candidates Wanted
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URGENT NOTICE:
surrounding
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Dates:
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LA GRANDE Dates:
BAKER CITY
ENTERPRISE
111 Elm Street
2021 Washington Ave.
113-1/2 Front E. Main St.
La Grande, OR 97850
Baker City, OR 97814
Enterprise, OR 97828
541-239-3877
541-605-2109
541-239-3782
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In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible performance of these devices, specially trained
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In addition (ADDRESS
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deficiencies.
Miracle-Ear
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the eardrum,
as other
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common cause
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hearing
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Qualified Field Test Candidates:
• Live
HERE)or area
the surrounding area
Live in
in (GENERAL
La Grande LOCATION
or the surrounding
• Are at least 55 years of age or older
• Have experienced some level of hearing difficulty, or currently wear hearing aids
• Don’t currently work for a market research company
Expires: April 28 2021
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Mention Code: 21AprField
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2) You will be required to have your hearing tested in our
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