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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
Page 24 M artin L uther K ing J r . 2021 special edition January 13, 2021 Vaccinations Begin at High-Risk Prisons First shots for staff; then adults in custody Dr. Warren Roberts, the chief medical director for the Oregon Department of Corrections, receives the Moderna Therapeutics COVID-19 vaccine as public health officials target prisons where staff and inmates are among the most at–risk populations in danger of contracting the virus. Some of the first COVID vaccines ar- riving in Oregon are being targeted to Or- egon’s prisons, where staff and inmates are among the most at- risk populations in danger of contracting the virus, according to public health officials. The Oregon Department of Corrections announced that prison employees be- gan receiving the Moderna Therapeutics COVID-19 vaccine with the New Year, part of an initial delivery of enough doses to treat 400 people. In the coming months, the protection will be offered and strongly encouraged to all corrections staff, contractors, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and adults in custody, officials said. The pri- oritization of vaccines will be determined by guidance from the Oregon Health Au- thority, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the Gov- ernor’s Office. Dr. Warren Roberts, the chief medical director for the Oregon Department of Corrections, was one of the first employ- ees to receive the vaccine. He strongly en- couraged all prison employees, the people who are incarcerated, and the public to also get vaccinated as soon as it is avail- able to them. “I’ve seen first-hand the epidemic in the prison setting and know we need to fight back with all tools available. Some of the worst outbreaks in Oregon have been in in- stitutional settings and this virus does not stay behind the prison walls, it seeps out into the surrounding community,” Roberts said. Authorities said the vaccinations will be- gin with individuals who are in close contact with COVID-19-positive individuals and infectious materials. This includes medical providers and nurses, transport employees, security staff working on COVID-19 units and/or performing hospital watches, and a small number of adults in custody whose work assignments involve cleaning and dis- infecting in COVID-19-positive units. “The 13,000 adults in DOC custody miss seeing their friends and family, and vaccines will help us open visiting again. And as essential public safety profession- als, DOC employees and their loved ones deserve some peace of mind and protection against the virus,” Roberts said. “Again, I encourage all Oregonians to get vaccinated and help us turn the tide. Even if you are skeptical, please consider those around you – your elderly parents, your neighbors, your community members who have underlying health conditions. We have all made sacrifices this year, but getting the vaccine is a heroic act and an enormous step toward protecting the lives of all Americans.”
