OHA info on vaccines for those 80 and older

From Oregon Health Authority: Approximately 168,000 adults age 80 and older are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. While this is a welcome increase in vaccine eligibility for one of our most vulnerable communities, it is important to note that there is still not enough vaccine supply for everyone.  

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Director Patrick Allen said, “My promise to older Oregonians is this: If you want a vaccination, you will get one. But it may not be tomorrow, this week or even two weeks from now. But you will get one. And every Oregonian will get a vaccine sooner and more easily if we are patient, wait our turn and make sure others who go before us get their chance.” 

OHA piloted and launched a new tool to provide older adults information about COVID-19 vaccinations. The “Get Vaccinated Oregon” tool is in addition to other methods that are already available to help people in Oregon get connected to vaccines. With the new tool, older adults in Oregon have four primary ways to get linked to local vaccine information: 

• Get Vaccinated Oregon is an eligibility and notification tool developed by Google, in partnership with the state of Oregon. You can find it at covidvaccine.oregon.gov or getvaccinated.oregon.gov. Users can answer basic questions to learn if they are eligible and get linked to information about vaccinations in their counties. Users can sign up for alerts to get notified about vaccination events or find out when they may become eligible. 
• Vaccine Information chat bot on the covidvaccine.oregon.gov website allows anyone to find out if they’re eligible for a vaccine in Oregon or get answers to other questions about vaccines. The Vaccine Information chat bot also enables vaccine-eligible users who live in Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah or Washington counties to schedule vaccine appointments through scheduling tools hosted by local health care providers. OHA developed and offered this scheduling feature in direct response to requests from health care providers in the region. The friendly Vaccine Information chat bot tool is an orange box that appears whenever a user accesses the covidvaccine.oregon.gov website. 
• 211: You can also text ORCOVID to 898211 to get text/SMS updates about vaccination clinics (this option is available in English and Spanish only) or email ORCOVID@211info.org. If you can’t get your COVID-19 vaccine question answered on the website, by text or by email, you can call 211 or 1-866-698-6155, which is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including holidays. Please be aware that wait times may be long due to high call volumes. As Governor Brown announced on Friday, the Oregon National Guard will help 211 answer phone calls, starting by the end of today. 
• Licensed senior facilities: Residents and staff at most licensed facilities for older adults and people with disabilities are receiving on-site vaccinations through pharmacies enrolled in federal vaccination programs. Residents (or family members) can ask their facility operator when their residence is scheduled for a vaccination clinic.