OHA releases finalized vaccine distribution recommendations

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Oregon Health Authority announced its finalized recommendations for who will be the first to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses.

In a press release sent out on Friday, the OHA stated their Phase 1a COVID-19 Vaccine Plan and Recommended Sequencing "adds more granularity to federal recommendations and outlines specific populations within the broad groups." The plan breaks up Phase 1a into four main groups, and OHA estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 people will have access to the vaccination during this phase.

The four groups of Phase 1a include:

• Group 1: Hospitals; urgent care; skilled nursing and memory care facility health care providers and residents; tribal health programs; emergency medical services providers and other first responders.
• Group 2: Other long-term care facilities and congregate care sites, including health care providers and residents; hospice programs; mobile crisis care and related services; individuals working in a correctional setting; personnel of group homes for children or adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Group 3: Outpatient settings serving specific high-risk groups; in-home care; day treatment services; non-emergency medical transportation.
• Group 4: Health care personnel working in other outpatient and public health settings.

The individuals within each group are not listed in any particular order. The OHA said "the plan calls for applying the broadest definition of 'health care personnel' as outlined by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes contractual staff not employed by a facility."

The plan also creates a framework for distributing and sequencing the vaccines based on "equity, individual, environmental and activity factors" that can put people more at risk for contracting or spreading the virus -- and have the potential for making their symptoms more severe.

"This plan helps us make sure we follow our own principles of health equity as we strive toward meeting our priorities for distributing the vaccine during this critical first phase," Dana Hargunani, M.D., M.P.H., OHA chief medical officer, said.

Kaiser Permanente began COVID-19 vaccinations for its front line health care workers on Friday morning at Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro.

Infectious Disease Physician Katie Sharff received the vaccine and told KOIN 6 she was feeling hopeful and positive.

"To have the vaccine here today and see it administered to my colleagues is just this glimmer of hope. This feeling that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, like we’re gonna get through this," Sharff said.

She was involved in diagnosing the first case in Oregon.

"I honestly feel like we’ve come full circle, administering those first vaccines at Westside and having that first case diagnosed in February," she said.

She said she suffered no side effects and no one at Kaiser had either.

"I am confident with the rigorous safety evaluation this vaccine has undergone. And it has been shown to be safe and effective. Furthermore, this vaccine is new but they are monitoring it so closely," she said.

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