LOCAL & STATE
TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
Umatilla County officials decry
political overtones with vaccines
By Bryce Dole
East Orergnian
PENDLETON — Umatilla
County Commissioner John
Shafer wants to send a clear
message — he’s a Republican
man choosing to get vacci-
nated against COVID-19.
In response to the county’s
low vaccine rates, offi cials
recently convened to discuss
new ways that they could
encourage residents to get
a shot. Shafer, who has
voiced frustration in the past
regarding the politicization
of vaccines, volunteered to
endorse the shot by having
a photo taken of him while
getting his second jab.
“I want people to know —
don’t be afraid of the vaccine,”
he said. “I’m getting it. And
one of the things is that the
Republican males seem to be
one of the worst at getting
vaccinated.”
Shafer and Umatilla Coun-
ty Commissioner George
Murdock, each of whom are
Republicans, decry the politi-
cal overtones associated with
vaccines. They say declining
demand for shots alongside
rising cases are hindering the
county’s progress during the
pandemic, and that political
division is playing a role.
“At no time in our his-
tory has a vaccine been this
political,” Shafer said. “And,
for the life of me, I can’t fi gure
out why. I don’t know if some
people are thinking that it
could be because a Democrat-
ic governor and a Democratic
president are pushing this.
But I keep thinking, even
President Trump was saying,
‘Get vaccinated. I did.’’’
Murdock says COVID-19
vaccinations “should have
nothing to do with political
party,” adding, “I would not
trust my health to partisan
politics.”
Murdock says that he and
Commissioner Dan Dorran
buck the national trends, say-
ing “it’s not universal.”
“The polling seems to show
older Republican men seem
to be the group who least
likely want to get the vaccina-
tion,” Murdock said. “But I’m
an absolute contrast to that.
I’m old, I’m a Republican and
I couldn’t wait to get mine
fast enough.”
The notion that Repub-
licans are largely declining
vaccines in the county echoes
national trends that critics
say are driven by right-wing
pundits who fl out coronavirus
precautions as a Democratic
effort to undermine the party
and impinge on civil liberties.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Umatilla County Commisioner John Shafer receives his second dose of the Moderna
COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse Kelsi Reyes during a vaccination event in
Pendleton on Friday, April 30.
said vaccines would be the
solution to the pandemic and
took credit when they were
cleared for use in November
2020.
The Biden administra-
— Republican John Shafer, Umatilla County commissioner
tion, however, promptly took
steps to hasten the rollout
from Quinnipiac University, cinated. It’s such a contradic- after the election and drove
which found 45% of Repub-
tion to hear all day, every day, the development of the
licans say they don’t plan to
from people that want us to
Johnson & Johnson vaccine,
get a vaccine.
go a certain direction, there’s which has reached nearly 7
According to a New York
a path to go there, and they
million Americans despite
Times survey of nearly every don’t want to go down it.”
being paused briefl y after six
U.S. county, vaccination rates
Joe Fiumara, the county’s women reported blood clots.
and interest was lower on
public health director, said
The vaccine has now been
average in counties where the the county lacks concrete
cleared by the Food and Drug
majority of residents voted to data showing vaccine hesi-
Administration with a warn-
reelect former President Don- tancy falls along party lines, ing label noting the potential
ald J. Trump, leaving some
but added, anecdotally, that
for rare blood clots.
areas with more vaccines
appears to be the case.
“This really isn’t about
than there is demand.
“We hear nationally that
Republican or Democrat, this
That trend appears to be
the Republican white man is is not a control move, this is
present in Umatilla County, the least likely to be get-
not many of these conspiracy
where voters largely favored ting the COVID vaccination
theory items that are fun
right now,” he said. “And we
Trump and where vaccine
and off-the-wall sometimes,”
rates have long ranked lowest know we have a decent sized Fiumara said. “It’s much
in Oregon, despite reporting population of white Republi- more straightforward. It’s
some of the highest infection can men in this county. And
about protecting yourself and
rates in the state in recent
so the assumption I make is protecting those around you,
months.
there’s probably something
because they’re the ones who
And this week, the county there.”
end up suffering if something
health department asked the
However, Fiumara noted
goes wrong.”
state to briefl y withhold vac- that some Hispanic and
By getting vaccinated and
cine shipments as demand is Latino residents, as well as
speaking out about vaccina-
rapidly declining.
people from some religious
tions, Shafer said he’s looking
With case counts rising
groups, are also hesitant to
to shift the stigma with some
on average over the past few get vaccinated.
hopes the county can make
weeks, the county was moved
To combat this, Fiumara
progress toward reopening in
from moderate risk back to
said county health offi cials
time for summer events.
high risk this week, bring-
are working to create new
“I want our county to be
ing greater restrictions on
ways to inform specifi c
open,” he said. “I don’t want
businesses and gatherings,
groups about the impor-
any restrictions in place
and raising concerns among tance, safety and effi cacy of
because of our numbers.
offi cials who say local busi-
vaccines, though he didn’t
And the way to do that is the
nesses can’t withstand the
provide specifi cs.
vaccine.”
constant shifts.
Fiumara said despite the
‘Mind-boggling’
county’s low vaccination
New cases tied to
resistance to vaccine
rates, he’s optimistic that
unvaccinated residents
For the commissioners and more and more people will
Offi cials say newly report- Fiumara, what is “mind-
get vaccinated as the rollout
ed cases are coming almost
boggling” is the vaccine is
continues. Even now, he said
entirely from residents who
now seeing reluctance from
health offi cials are seeing
Poll: Vaccination rates lag have yet to be vaccinated.
Republicans when it was, in people change their minds.
in areas that supported
“I think it’s frustrating to
fact, designed under a Re-
“I think people are recog-
Trump
me that I get calls over and
publican administration.
nizing that this is our path
A recent national poll
over and over again from
With Operation Warp
out of here,” he said. “People
conducted by Monmouth Uni- people who want us to open
Speed, an effort that saw
who were more on the fence
versity found nearly 2 in 5
up the county, open up large vaccines developed at an
aren’t so on the fence now
Republicans said they would events, and have us start
unprecedented rate with
that millions and millions
avoid getting the vaccine if
moving back to where we
billions of dollars from the
across the country are receiv-
possible. The fi ndings are
were,” Murdock said. “But we Trump administration, the
ing it with very low side
similar to a separate survey
can’t order people to get vac- former president repeatedly effects or down side.”
“I want people to know — don’t be afraid of the
vaccine. I’m getting it. And one of the things is that
the Republican males seem to be one of the worst at
getting vaccinated.”
FENTANYL
called the “death-rattle”)
• Vomiting
Continued from Page 3A
• Face is pale or clammy
• Blue lips, fi ngernails, and
skin
• For lighter skinned people,
the skin tone turns bluish pur-
ple; for darker skinned people,
the skin tone turns grayish or
ashen
• Breathing is very slow
and shallow, irregular or has
stopped
• Pulse is slow, erratic or not
there at all
• Choking sounds or a snore-
like gurgling noise (sometimes
Steps to take for opioid
overdose victims
• Call 911 immediately, report
a drug overdose, and give the
street address and location of the
victim. If there are other persons
available, send someone to wait
in the street for the ambulance
and guide the emergency medi-
cal technicians to the victim.
• Try to rouse the victim by
speaking loudly, pinching, or rub-
bing your knuckles vigorously up
and down the sternum (the bony
part in the middle of the chest).
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• Make sure the victim is
breathing. If not, administer
rescue breathing (mouth-to-
mouth) by pinching the victim’s
nose shut and blowing into the
mouth. Lay the victim on their
side after they have resumed
breathing on their own.
• Administer an opioid
antagonist, such as Naloxone
(Narcan), if you have it and
know how to use it.
• Stay with the victim until
help arrives, and act quickly to
administer rescue breathing if
they stop breathing. Encourage
the victim to cooperate with the
ambulance crew.
COVID
Continued from Page 1A
From April 25 to May 1, the county reported 19 new
cases. That’s fewer than half the total new cases for the
two previous Sunday-Saturday weeks — 42 from April
18-24, and 58 from April 11-17. The last Sunday-Sat-
urday period with fewer than 19 new cases was March
14-20, when there were nine.
Bennett said on Monday morning, May 3, that
although he’s pleased with the declining trend in the
county’s COVID-19 case rate, it’s not certain that the
county will move out of extreme risk this Friday, May 7.
Although state offi cials are reviewing county risk
levels weekly rather than every other week as in the
past, county decisions will continue to be based on their
case count and test positivity numbers for a two-week
period, said Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the Oregon
Health Authority (OHA).
There are two ways Baker County could move out of
extreme risk.
The fi rst is if the number of people hospitalized for
COVID-19 statewide drops below 300, or the seven-day
percent increase in the hospitalization rate drops below
15%, Modie said.
As of Monday, there were 351 people hospitalized
statewide for COVID-19 treatment, and the percent rate
exceeded 15%, so that option appears unlikely.
The other possible way to move out of extreme risk is
based on the county’s number of new cases for the two-
week measuring period starting April 20, Modie said.
Baker County, as of Monday, May 3, had 59 new cases
during that period. That would qualify the county to
move to high risk, but by the narrowest margin — the
threshold for extreme risk is 60 cases. In counties at high
risk, restaurants and bars can have indoor dining up to
25% of their capacity or 50 total people, including staff,
whichever is fewer.
OHA was scheduled to announce any changes to
county risk levels today, May 4.
WOLVES
Continued from Page 1A
“It was a classic case (of
wolf depredation),” Ratliff
said on Monday, May 3.
“It was pretty straightfor-
ward.”
Ratliff said a hunter
who reported the attack —
not the rancher who owns
the calves — was driving
through the allotment on
the morning of April 30
and saw one dead calf and
a wolf standing on it.
The hunter texted
Ratliff, who arrived at the
spot later that day.
Ratliff said he found two
dead calves about 40 yards
apart. The calves were
born this winter and were
among a herd of 57 cow-
calf pairs that were moved
to the allotment, managed
by the Bureau of Land
Management, on April 16.
Based on the absence of
any evidence that scaveng-
ing birds had fed on either
carcass, Ratliff said he
believes wolves killed the
calves either late on April
29 or early on April 30.
He said there were
“struggle scenes” and wolf
tracks around each of the
calves.
Ratliff said both carcass-
es had bite marks that,
based on their location and
depth, are consistent with
wolves rather than smaller
predators such as coyotes.
Ratliff said he also
found splotches of blood on
vegetation that was still
standing and had not been
trampled.
That’s further evidence
that the calves were
attacked while alive, he
COVID cases close Wallowa High School
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — Wallowa High School
is closed for the next two weeks, effective
Thursday, April 29, after several COV-
ID-19 cases were confi rmed at the school,
Superintendent Tammy Jones said in a
post to the district’s Facebook page.
According to the post, six individuals
have tested positive for COVID-19 —
two Wednesday night, April 28, and four
other positive tests earlier in the week.
In a post Tuesday evening, April 27 that
fi rst outlined the details of the outbreak,
the district said it did not plan to close.
That plan changed Thursday morning.
“Given the timing and the numbers
of contacts that local health offi cials will
need to contact, we are immediately clos-
ing our high school,” Johnson wrote.
Students in grades six through 12
were moved to distance learning starting
Thursday and will remain there through
May 11. A local health offi cial will con-
tact parents who have a student who is
required to quarantine, Jones said in the
post. Students in kindergarten through
fi fth grade will remain on campus, Jones
said.
The Facebook post Tuesday evening
linked the outbreak to a community
prom, which the post said was not a
school-sponsored activity.
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said, because when bloody
vegetation is not matted,
it means the animals were
standing when they bled.
Ratliff said blood on
fl attened vegetation, by
contrast, is consistent with
wolves or other predators
dragging a carcass, or part
of a carcass, across the
ground before, or while,
feeding on it. In that case
it’s possible that the calf
died from another cause
and that the predator only
fed on the carcass.
The Keating pack
consists of eight wolves, ac-
cording to the annual wolf
report ODFW released in
April.
The pack had at least
two pups in the spring
of 2020 that survived
through the end of the
year.
Ratliff said ODFW
trapped three wolves from
the pack in January of this
year and fi tted them with
tracking collars. However,
he said that only one of
those collars is still func-
tioning.
That collar broadcasts
radio signals rather than
GPS, Ratliff said, so he
can’t determine the loca-
tion of any wolves from
the pack during the period
when he believes wolves
attacked the calves.
However, Ratliff said
that when he arrived at
the attack scene, a radio
receiver put the location of
the collared wolf at about
one-quarter mile away.
Ratliff said the owner of
the calves, whom he didn’t
name, spent the weekend
in the area to prevent
further wolf attacks.
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