Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2021)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A LOCAL, STATE & NATION Survey: 1 in 3 Americans leery about COVID-19 vaccine By Mike Stobbe and Hannah Fingerhut Associated Press NEW YORK — About 1 in 3 Amer- icans say they defi nitely or probably won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new poll that some ex- perts say is discouraging news if the U.S. hopes to achieve herd immunity and vanquish the outbreak. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Af- fairs Research found that while 67% of Americans plan to get vaccinated or have already done so, 15% are cer- tain they won’t and 17% say probably not. Many expressed doubts about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The poll suggests that substantial skepticism persists more than a month and a half into a U.S. vaccina- tion drive that has encountered few if any serious side effects. It found that resistance runs higher among younger people, people without col- lege degrees, Black Americans and Republicans. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the govern- ment’s leading infectious-disease scientist, has estimated that some- where between 70% and 85% of the U.S. population needs to get inocu- lated to stop the scourge that has killed close to 470,000 Americans. STUDENTS Continued from Page 1A The charter school includes Baker Web Academy and Baker Early College. Another 14 letters were sent to the Pine Eagle School District at Halfway and 17 to Huntington. None was sent to the Burnt River School District at Unity where all students’ immunization re- cords were up-to-date, Staten said. The remaining 74 letters were mailed to families of students attending Baker schools. This year, because of the pandemic, immunizations needed to update student records will be given by ap- pointment only at the Health Department. There will be no special clinics scheduled for that purpose as there have been in the past. The department moved from its former location on Pocahontas Road to its new offi ce at 2200 Fourth St. in December. To schedule a vaccination appointment, call 541-523-8211. Staten urged callers to be patient with the phone system, which is operating on N. Scott Trimble/TNS A recent survey found that about 33% of Americans say they defi - nitely or probably won’t get a COVID-19 vaccine. More recently, he said the spread of more contagious variants of the virus increases the need for more people to get their shots — and quickly. So is 67% of Americans enough? “No. No, no, no, no,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University ex- pert on disease dynamics. He added: “You’re going to need to get quite large proportions of the population vaccinated before you see a real effect.” Nearly 33 million Americans, or emergency status, awaiting installation of a new phone system. Voicemail messages will be returned as soon as possible, she said. “Call and have patience,” she urged those who need to schedule immunization ap- pointments for their children. “We’ll get through it and we’ll have a new phone system and it will work.” The Health Department will be closed Monday, Feb. 15, because of the Presidents Day holiday, but it will be open as usual on Tuesday. Offi ce hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, except during federal holidays. “The school law is still in ef- fect,” Staten said. “That hasn’t changed because of COVID. “We strongly encourage parents to keep their kids up-to-date on their immu- nizations, especially in the pandemic,” she said. Staten said the Health Department has been work- ing with districts since school started this year to ensure that as few students as pos- sible would be excluded this month. Students may be exempt RIVERS Continued from Page 3A It includes extending the Snake River’s designation in Oregon from the current 66.9 miles to 71.4 miles by including the reach from Cache Creek to the Oregon-Washington border. Portions of previously undesignated creeks that drain into the Snake, Imnaha, Grande Ronde and Wallowa rivers are includ- ed. For example, the Snake River tributaries Cache Creek, Knight Creek, Cook Creek and most of Jim Creek would be designated as Wild rivers. The Imnaha River and its tributaries get an upgrade, with the upper 6 miles of the Imnaha designated Wild, the 58 miles from Indian Crossing to Cow Creek designated Recreational, and the last 4 miles, Cow Creek to the Snake River, designated as Scenic. The upper 17.4 miles of Lightning Creek, the upper 16.9 miles of Horse Creek, and the upper 17.1 miles of Cow Creek, all on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, would be designated Wild. In Big Sheep Creek, the new legislation would classify as Scenic the 12-mile segment from the Eagle Cap Wilderness boundary to the USFS boundary as well as another lower 3.4 mile stretch that also fl ows through USFS management. Similarly, Joseph Creek and many of its tributaries would receive designations includ- ing 38.1 miles of Joseph Creek designated as Wild and 19.5 miles of upper Chesnimnus Creek labeled as Recreational. Devil’s Run Creek and Peavine Creek would be desig- nated as Wild, as would portions of Deadhorse and Cottonwood creeks. The Grande Ronde River Basin includes about 210 miles of newly designated streams. That includes 42.2 miles of the lower river designated Wild, as well as 10 miles of the river’s headwaters in the Elkhorn Mountains. The stretch from the confl uence with the Wal- lowa River to the Umatilla National Forest would be designated as Recreational. Grande Ronde tributaries receiving designations in- clude the upper portions of Catherine Creek, about 10% of the population, have received at least one dose, and 9.8 million have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The poll of 1,055 adults, taken Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, provides insight into the skepticism. Of those who said they defi nitely will not get the vaccine, 65% cited worries about side effects, despite the shots’ safety record over the past months. About the same percent- from immunizations in Oregon either through a medical exemption verifi ed by a physician or a nonmedical exemption based on personal, religious, or philosophical rea- sons. To qualify for the non- medical exemption, parents may either watch an online vaccine education video and submit a certifi cate of comple- tion to the school or talk with a health care provider and have the provider sign a vac- cine education certifi cate to present to the school. A bill has been introduced in this session of the Or- egon Legislature seeking to eliminate the nonmedical exemption, which has been an option for Oregon families since 2016. The Oregon Health Author- ity stated in a press release issued Wednesday, Feb. 10, that schools have the option of blocking remote learn- ing access for kids whose immunization records aren’t up-to-date by Feb. 17. Baker Charter School, as it has always done because most students do the majority of their studying online, will take that option, said Melanie Trindle, charter school execu- age said they don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines. And 38% said they don’t believe they need a vaccine, with a similar share saying that they don’t know if a COVID-19 vaccine will work and that they don’t trust the government. Of those who probably will not get the vaccine but have not ruled it out completely, 63% said they are wait- ing to see if it is safe, and 60% said they are concerned about possible side effects. “I don’t trust pharmaceuticals. I really don’t. And it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be safe,” said Debra Nanez, a 67-year-old retired nurse from Tucson, Arizona. Baron Walker, a 42-year-old laid-off insulation installer from Parkersburg, West Virginia, said he is in the “probably not” column, at least for now. He said that if he were elderly, or lived in a densely populated area, he might consider the vaccine more strongly. But he is in rural part of the country, he has been wearing a mask and social-distancing, and he feels there is a good chance the nation will achieve herd immunity, he said. “I feel like I have plenty of time before I get a chance to get (the tive assistant. “Students enrolled in our school and not up-to-date get a letter, and we will block ac- cess to online classes until all records are updated,” Trindle said That will not be the case for students attending Baker School District classes through online programs started this year because of the pandemic. “We will still gather infor- mation and encourage them to get the vaccinations,” said Superintendent Mark Witty. “But since they’re online, the state’s not requiring us to exclude them if they haven’t gotten all their vaccinations.” Staten said no one will be refused the vaccines based on an inability to pay. A $21.96 administrative fee is collected vaccine) anyway, to fi nd out if there are bad side effects and whether it’s even worth getting it,” Walker said. In interviews, some Americans expressed concerns about the revolutionary speed with which the vaccines were developed — less than a year. “I feel like they rushed it,” Walker said. That was echoed by Matt Helder- man, 31, of Greer, South Carolina. “I’d like to see more safety data,” said Helderman, a video editor and associate producer for a Christian TV program. He also said that he would like to see more clarity on whether the vaccine is effective against new variants. Health offi cials are trying to counter concerns about the vaccine with science. The latest evidence indicates that the two vaccines being used in the U.S. — Pfi zer’s and Moderna’s — are effective even against the variants, Fauci said. Also, while the development of the vaccines was unusually fast, it was the culmination of many years of research. And the vaccines went through clinical trials involving thousands of people who were moni- tored for 60 days after their last dose. from those who are unin- sured and cannot pay the full amount. If they cannot afford the administrative fee, the immunizations will be provided without charge, she said. The state pays the cost of the vaccine in those cases. The Oregon Health Authority noted in a press release issued Wednesday that the COVID-19 vaccine is not currently required for children. In fact, the current emergency use authorizations from the Food and Drug Ad- ministration do not allow for children younger than 16 to receive the Pfi zer vaccine and for those younger than 18 to receive the Moderna vaccine. The law does, however, require all children in public and private schools, pre- schools, Head Start and certi- fi ed child care centers to have up-to-date records on their required immunizations or to have an exemption. “Immunization is the best way to protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases such as whooping cough and measles,” Stacy de Assis Matthews, school law coordinator in the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, said in the press release. “Just two years ago, we saw several measles cases in the Northwest. We don’t want another disease outbreak on top of COVID-19,” de Assis Matthews said. “Immuniza- tions are the most effective way to stop the spread of measles, to keep kids and school communities healthy and safe.” Proposed additions to wild and scenic rivers list PINE CREEK NEAR HALFWAY • Sections of Pine Creek (1.3 miles), West Fork (0.6), Middle Fork (1.1), East Pine Creek (7.9), Trail Creek (4.4), Clear Creek (9.1), Fish Creek (8.4), Lake Fork Creek (13.4), Elk Creek (8.1) EAST SIDE OF ELKHORN MOUNTAINS • Sections of Dutch Flat Creek (6.7 miles), Van Patten Creek (1.6), Rock Creek (7.3), North Fork Rock Creek (3.3), Killamacue Creek (4) and North Fork of North Powder River (2.5) BURNT RIVER SYSTEM • North Fork (9.3 miles), Lower Burnt River (6.9), West Fork (3.8), Middle Fork (6.1), South Fork (5.3), Bull Run Creek (2.6) EAGLE CREEK (WALLOWAS) • West Eagle Creek (6.3 miles), East Eagle Creek (3.7) 8.7 miles of Lookingglass Creek, and 9.5 miles of Indian Creek. Additional protection is provided for the North Fork of the John Day River, the South Fork of the John Day River, the Powder River and the portions of its tributaries on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, including Dutch Flat, Van Patten, Rock and Killamacue creeks. More than 2,500 individuals and organiza- tions nominated approximately 15,000 miles of streams according to Wyden and Merkley’s joint press release announcing the bill. The Nez Perce Tribe nominated 109.7 miles of streams for inclusion in the new legislation, including 21.05 miles of Joseph Creek owned by the Bureau of Land Management along with the Nez Perce Tribe, and 18.83 miles of Broady Creek on U.S. Forest Service and Nez Perce Tribal land as well as a small amount of private property. Call or come see us at Lew Bros Tire in Baker City Limited time offer. While supplies last. Discount applies to a set of four select tires and depends on tire size and type. Cannot combine with other offers. Details at LesSchwab.com. Lew Brothers Tire Service 541-523-3679 210 Bridge St. Baker City, OR
