Thread by @OHAOregon

OHA Director Pat Allen speaking at today's press conference: "I want to provide some updates and make a few observations as we enter the homestretch toward our goal of vaccinating 7 in 10 adult Oregonians."

"We're nearly 6 months into Oregon's #COVID19 vaccination drive, and it’s been close to six weeks since we expanded eligibility to all adults on April 19th. During these past few months, we’ve seen the virus come roaring back and then begin to retreat."

"In that time, a stark picture has emerged. There isn’t one pandemic in Oregon – there are two: One is a pandemic that is dying out among people who are vaccinated. And the other is a pandemic that is raging as fiercely as ever among people who are unvaccinated."

"In May, 16,097 people in Oregon caught #COVID19. 98% of those Oregonians were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. Among the 126 people who became severely ill and died of COVID-19 last month, >9 in 10 deaths occurred among people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated."

"The data clearly show that if you're fully vaccinated, you can begin to put the pandemic behind you. A get-together with friends, a family birthday celebration at a restaurant or a day at work alongside others won’t put you at high-risk to contract or pass #COVID19."

"If you're fully vaccinated, you have the peace of mind to know that if you have close contact with someone who is infected, you won’t have to worry about quarantining yourself for an extended period."

"If you’re unvaccinated, the threat of #COVID19 still shadows your life. You’re vulnerable to getting sick or worse – becoming seriously ill yourself or passing the virus to someone who might wind up in the hospital or dying."

"Over the past month, most counties with high vaccination rates among adults also tend to have lower than median infection rates."

"Those counties include most counties that have topped the 65% threshold to move to low-risk, or are close to it such as: Benton, Clatsop, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Multnomah, Tillamook and Washington counties, which all have vaccination rates over 60%."

"Conversely, Crook, Klamath and Harney have lower-than-median vaccination rates, but significantly higher-than-median case rates over the past 30 days."

"The vaccines were widely tested in clinical trials and doctors and medical experts tell us they’re safe and effective. Our data in Oregon continues to prove it."

"Let’s look at where we are in getting to @OregonGovBrown goal to vaccinate 70% of adults in Oregon. According to @CDCgov, Oregon has vaccinated 66.2% – 2,217,841 people who are 18 or older. That means we have to vaccinate approximately 127,000 more adults to reach our goal."

"Oregon ranks 18th in the nation in total population who’ve received at least one dose. According to @CDCgov, 55% of all Oregonians have had at least one vaccination. The national average is 51%."

"However, it’s clear we hit a speedbump over the Memorial Day weekend. Our daily average doses delivered dropped to 17,551, after some quiet days over the holidays."

"While the pace began to pick back up over the week, it’ll be a couple of more days before all the data comes in and we can see if the numbers were a holiday anomaly or the emergence of a new trend."

"We’re still tracking at a level above our worst-case scenario, which would have us reaching 70% by June 21st, the first day of summer."

I’m also encouraged to report that our partnerships with FQHCs, community-based organizations and local public health departments are closing the vaccination gap between whites and communities of color. Over the past week:

"Finally, beyond the incentives @OregonGovBrown has announced and the many local partnerships we’re pursuing to stage vaccination clinics in communities across Oregon, we see partners continuing to step-up to vaccinate Oregonians."

"This month, @Albertsons/@Safeway, @cvspharmacy, @Walgreens and @riteaid pharmacies are all extending their hours to give more people a chance to get vaccinated. For example, @riteaid will offer #COVID19 vaccines on 3 Friday nights in June: 11th, 18th and 25th until Midnight."

"We know many people who haven't chosen to get vaccinated aren’t vaccine-resistant, just vaccine-inconvenient. They have little time outside the demands of family, multiple jobs or other commitments. We appreciate our pharmacy partners extending hours."