Chrissy Ewald
Staff writer
Graphic by Anushka Srivastav.
Governor Kate Brown has again moved up Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility timeline. In a [press release] on April 6, Governor Brown announced that all Oregonians over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines starting April 19 as part of increased efforts to limit the spread of new, high-risk COVID-19 variants. This will mark the beginning of Phase 2 of Oregon’s vaccine rollout.
Frontline workers became eligible for vaccination on April 5. “[Frontline workers]” includes all Willamette faculty and staff whose jobs require routine close contact with other people. Some on-campus employees, including Willamette Emergency Medical Services (WEMS) members, have already received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine due to the nature of their jobs.
Willamette University is collaborating with an external vendor to schedule vaccinations for employees, according to an [email] sent to the student body by the Reopening Committee (ROC) on April 1. Once available, vaccines will be free, as they are covered fully by insurance. However, unanticipated interruption in the external vendor’s vaccine supply and delivery means Willamette cannot estimate the date at which vaccination appointments will become available through the school, according to an email sent April 7. The ROC urged students and employees to get vaccines wherever they can using county and state scheduling services like [Get Vaccinated Oregon].
Bishop Wellness Center is an approved vaccination site for students, but it does not anticipate receiving vaccines from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) before the end of spring semester.