Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

(Leah Hogsten | Salt Lake Tribune file photo) The Utah Symphony seen here performing for fifth-grade students and Utah Opera will require ticket-holders to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result, starting Sept. 16, 2021, USUO announced on Sept. 3, 2021.

| Sep. 4, 2021, 7:59 p.m.

People attending the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera will have to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test result, starting Sept. 16.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera announced the policy Friday. It covers the symphonys concerts at Abravanel Hall and the opera companys performances at the Capitol Theatre.

Ticket holders will have to show proof that they have been fully vaccinated, or evidence of a negative test result taken within 72 hours of the performance. Home tests are not acceptable. They also will have to show a valid photo ID.

Face coverings are required for the symphonys Abravanel Hall shows before Sept. 16 Celebracin Sinfnica! next Wednesday and a live-accompaniment screening of Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi on Sept. 9 and 10. Masks are strongly encouraged for the symphonys outdoor concert, on Sept. 11 at Sandy Promenade, to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

The symphony and opera also will continue to require face coverings for anyone not vaccinated including children under age 12, who are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Those who are vaccinated still are strongly encouraged to wear a mask.

Both Abravanel Hall and the Capitol Theatre are operated by Salt Lake County but because the county contracts out to the symphony and opera, private nonprofit organizations, the venues are not covered by state law that prohibits government entities from creating a vaccination requirement.

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Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or a negative test result, will be required to attend Utah Symphony and Utah Opera shows - Salt Lake Tribune

Home News-Free LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 vaccine and testing closed Labor Day Weekend

In observance of Labor Day, all LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites will be closed Saturday, September 4 Monday, September 6. Services will resume at 10AM on Tuesday, September 7.

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LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 vaccine and testing closed Labor Day Weekend - Bossier Press-Tribune Online

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsins $100 reward program for those receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will be extended two weeks until Sept. 19.

Gov. Tony Evers announced the extension on Friday. Evers says that extending the incentive will give an opportunity for even more people to get vaccinated.

The program began Aug. 20 and was originally scheduled to end on Monday. Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 1, more than 65,000 people received their first dose.

Also, the states second-highest ranking health official who has been the public face for fighting the pandemic announced she is retiring. The departure of Julie Willems Van Dijk means that the states two top health officials at the start of the pandemic in 2020 have now left.

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Gov. Evers extends $100 incentive for COVID-19 vaccinations - WTMJ-TV

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole today pledgedto increase Canada's vaccination rate beyond 90 per cent within two monthsas he unveiled the party'sstrategy to combat thefourth wave of COVID-19.

O'Toole's plan relies heavily on persuading more Canadians to get vaccinated through a public information campaign that will "appeal to Canadians' patriotism" and by providing incentives, such as paid time off work and free transportation to vaccineappointments.

It also promises a "booster shot strategy" to counter waning immunity, an expansion of rapid testing in workplaces and schools,and theaccelerated authorization of vaccinesfor children under the age of 12,who currently aren't eligible to receive a COVID-19vaccine.

In announcing the suite of pandemic policies at a campaign event in Coquitlam, B.C., O'Toole repeated his criticism of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's decision to call an election at the same time as thedelta variant drives a resurgence of cases and hospitalizations in some parts of the country.

"This shouldn't be the discussion we are having in the middle of an election, but it is, and we need to work together," O'Toole told reporters.

"I won't do what's convenient politically, but what is right."

WATCH:O'Toole says he wants Canada's vaccination rate up to 90 per cent

The Conservative leader has faced criticism from his political rivals in the past over hisunwillingness to support vaccine mandates for federal public servants and domestic travellers.

This plan doesn't include a vaccine mandate or passport, but it would require unvaccinated civil servants and domestictravellersboarding a bus, plane, train or boat to show recent negative COVID-19 test results or undergo rapid testing. It also promises to work with provinces to develop a national proof-of-vaccination system that could be used for international travel.

O'Toolesought to portray his approach to COVID-19 as fair, co-operativeand focused on understanding why some people have yet to get vaccinated, rather than demonizing them something he accused the Trudeau Liberals of doing in an attempt to score political points on the campaign trail.

"You don't win people over by threatening them. You win them over by reaching out, talking to them, understanding their fears, answering their questions," O'Toole said."We need to persuade every Canadian that vaccines are safe, effective and our best route out of this crisis."

Additional measures in the Conservative plan include:

Any attempt by O'Toole to promote the COVID-19 planwas overshadowed by abarrage of questions about the Conservative position on firearms, and what critics say is a lack of transparency in the language O'Toolehas used recently when speaking publiclyabout that policy.

O'Toole has generated confusionby pledging to maintain the ban on "assault weapons," but not "assault-style" weapons.

The "assault weapons" ban refers to a1977legislative change that classified fully automatic weapons as "prohibited" firearms but O'Toole wouldstill doaway with the Liberal prohibitionon 1,500 "assault-style" firearms models, such as the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14 rifle, among thosethe Liberal government blacklisted through an order-in-council last year.

WATCH:O'Toole defends his support for repeal of "assault-style" firearm ban

The Conservative election platform promises to scrap the May 2020 order-in-council that banned the wide variety of guns and review the Firearms Act with input from police, gun owners, manufacturers and the public.

But O'Toole seemed to backpedal on the pledge on both Thursday and Friday by saying the party would "maintain the ban on assault weapons" when pressed about his platform pledge.

A party spokespersonlater said in an emailed statement that O'Toole does promise to repeal the May 2020 order-in-council ban but not the prohibition of full-fledged "assault weapons" which are distinct from what the Liberals call "assault-style" weapons. That ban has been in place since 1977.

Reporters repeatedly pressed O'Toole on the matter during the campaign stop in Coquitlam, B.C., repeatedly asking whether he would repeal the ban on specific weapons used in mass shootings in recent years.

"We will maintain a ban on assault weapons and we will also have it's in our policy a transparent and public review of our classification system," O'Toole said, accusing the Liberals of divisive tactics.

"We will have that review, focusing on public safety and getting guns out of the hands of criminals that are being smuggled in from the United States."

Liberal candidate Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, unloaded on O'Toole's response,accusing himof "pretending that he had not made a commitment" to maintain the Liberal ban, as well as of being beholden to the gun lobby.

"I think, overwhelmingly, Canadians recognize that there is no place for these guns in our country," Blairsaid at a news conference in Toronto. "Mr. O'Toole is having difficulty admitting to Canadians that he's made that unholy pact with the gun lobby. He needs to be held to account."

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O'Toole vows to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates above 90%, pressed for clarity on gun position - CBC.ca

London A study conducted in the U.K. offers some of the first large-scale, real-world data on how well vaccination protects people against catching a "breakthrough" COVID-19 infection, and how well it protects breakthrough patients from becoming seriously ill. The results are encouraging.

The peer-reviewed study published Wednesday inThe Lancet medical journal will help policy makers and epidemiologists fill in a significant gap in the understanding of the true efficacy of three of the major vaccines being used worldwide.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, doesn't have good data on how many people catch COVID-19 after being vaccinated, as it decided in the spring to track only serious, symptomatic breakthrough cases. The British study, on the other hand, used mass-testing data to determine how many breakthrough cases there actually are and how sick those people get.

The vaccines were never intended to prevent infections completely, but to reduce the rates of infection within a population and, most importantly, to reduce the severity of illness in people who do catch it. The study found that people who contracted the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated were almost twice as likely to have no symptoms at all, compared to the wider population.

Crucially, the odds of a fully-vaccinated person who does catch COIVD-19 ending up hospitalized with severe symptoms were reduced by more than two-thirds compared to an unvaccinated coronavirus patient. The survey also found that the risk of breakthrough patients suffering from long-COVID, with symptoms lasting more than a month, were cut in half by full vaccination.

It's the latest dataset to offer convincing evidence that the vaccines work as intended.

Researchers from King's College, London, and Harvard in the U.S. carried out the study using self-reported data from more than a million people in the U.K. who had received either the Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The research showed that the risk of severe disease or hospitalization was significantly reduced after a first vaccine dose, but that protection against serious illness and against catching a breakthrough infection to begin with increased with the full dosage.

The data, gathered from December 8, 2020, through July 4, 2021, show that of more than 1.2 million adults who received a first dose, fewer than 0.5% reported contracting breakthrough infections two weeks or more after getting the jab. Among those who got both shots, fewer than 0.2% experienced a breakthrough infection a week or more after getting their second shot.

"Among those who did experience a breakthrough infection, the odds of that infection being asymptomatic increased by 63% after one vaccine dose and by 94% after the second dose," the study's authors wrote in The Lancet.

"We are at a critical point in the pandemic as we see cases rising worldwide due to the delta variant. Breakthrough infections are expected and don't diminish the fact that these vaccines are doing exactly what they were designed to do save lives and prevent serious illness," said study co-lead author Dr. Claire Steves of King's College. "Other research has shown a mortality rate as high as 27% for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We can greatly reduce that number by keeping people out of the hospital in the first place through vaccination. Our findings highlight the crucial role vaccines play in larger efforts to prevent COVID-19 infections, which should still include other personal protective measures such as mask-wearing, frequent testing, and social distancing."

The data also show that the risk of breakthrough infection is higher for people living in lower-income areas, likely due, the authors said, to closer living quarters and lower overall vaccination rates in these communities. These risks were "most significantly associated with a post-vaccination infection after receiving the first vaccine dose and before receiving a second dose," according to The Lancet.

As has been found consistently since the coronavirus first emerged, age and underlying conditions, including heart, lung and kidney disease, all seriously increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infection, including in those who have been vaccinated.

"The increased risks of breakthrough infections for frail, older adults especially those living in care homes or who require frequent visits to health care facilities and for other people living in deprived conditions reflect what we've seen throughout the pandemic. These groups are at a greater risk of exposure and are therefore more vulnerable to infection," study co-author Dr. Rose Penfold, also of King's College, said in The Lancet. "Health policies designed to prevent infections, including policies around timing between the first and second dose and potential booster shots, should prioritize these groups."

While the data used for the study did not discern between infections with the Delta variant and other strains of the coronavirus, the vast majority of U.K. cases have been Delta infections since at least early June, and it started spreading rapidly in March. In the U.S., Delta became the dominant strain in July and it now makes up nearly all new cases.

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Study finds low rate of COVID-19 "breakthrough" infections, fewer symptoms in vaccinated people - CBS News

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Understanding, Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the ED - PatientEngagementHIT.com

KANSAS CITY, Kan. Healthcare analysts say that getting COVID-19 is more expensive than ever. There are also growing costs associated with remaining unvaccinated on principle or for political reasons.

For example, early in the pandemic employers might have given more paid-time-off for COVID-19 infections or quarantines. But now if you are unvaccinated without a key exemption, like a disability or sincere religious reason, and then you get COVID-19, you are more likely to have to use up your PTO and potentially go unpaid during treatment.

That is just one financial squeeze put on people going without the shot.

Another example, starting Nov. 1, unvaccinated Delta Air Lines employees who have health insurance from the company will face $200 monthly surcharges. The policy could be expanded to other industries that were once-buoyed by the discretion of health insurance companies at the start of the pandemic.

According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, earlier in the pandemic, the vast majority of people enrolled in fully-insured private health plans nonetheless would have had their out-of-pocket costs waived if they were hospitalized with COVID-19.

But now, 72% of the two largest insurers in each state and dc are no longer waiving these costs, and another 10% of plans are phasing out waivers by the end of October, according to the brief published by Peterson-KFF.

Attorney Brittany Barrientos specializes in OSHA compliance at Stinson LLP. She said there lies a balance in encouraging employees to play it safe infection-wise, while also avoiding rules that are so strict that it disincentivizes disclosures of COVID-19 cases.

I dont know how many times Ive heard someone say I think its allergies. Well check anyways, its probably not allergies or it may not be allergies. But that just really underscores the complexities of this and really lay out an intentional and vetted policy, Barrientos said during a presentation the KC Chamber of Commerce.

That leads to the question. If unvaccinated individuals are required to test for COVID-19 weekly, who is paying for those tests as time moves forward and insurance companies potentially start denying those claims?

Whos paying the costs? Specifically, whos paying for the costs of the tests for people who cant be or dont want to be vaccinated. And do you have to pay for the time spent being tested? This is a gray area, Molly Keppler, an attorney specializing in business litigation for Stinson LLP, said.

That issue will likely play out in the courts.

It is also worth noting that when hospitals reach capacity it is more likely a patient will have to be taken farther away for treatment, likely at an out-of-network hospital, compounding possible costs for patients.

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The rising costs of choosing not to get the COVID-19 vaccine - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

One squirt per nostril and you're protected from COVID-19?

That's the intent ofa vaccine that's about to be tested in a clinical trial, which will run at three U.S. research sites including the Gamble Center for Vaccine Research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

What's promising about the vaccine under study is that it is expected to quickly stop COVID-19 spread from those who get the two-squirt dose.

It has the potential to stop viral infection at the very earliest stages, preventing infection of the nose and upper respiratory tract,"said Dr. Paul Spearman, director of the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children's and lead investigator for clinical trials of the CVXGA1 vaccine.

That could be a turn of events for the novel coronavirus pandemic, he said, because current vaccines cannot promise the prevention of early stages of COVID-19, which get into the nose and can cause upper respiratory issues, though theyare highly effective at preventingsevere illness and death.

CyanVac LLC, of Athens, Georgia, a small pharmaceutical manufacturing company founded in 2017, developed the vaccine that's about to be tested. CVXGA1 employs a live vector virus that hasn't been used in humans so far.

This is a naturally-occurring canine respiratory virus that is not known to cause any harm in humans who have been exposed to it,"Spearman said. The vaccine has been engineered to express the COVID-19 spike glycoprotein, which is the same spike protein that's in the other vaccines, he said.

The vaccine is squirted into each nostril; thenit replicates and generates an immune response, he said.

The clinical trial at the Cincinnati Children's research center is expected to begin the week of Sept. 14, and recruitment is underway, but Spearman said could be "a little tricky."

"We are trying to recruit individuals who've had no COVID vaccine and have not been infected with COVID-19."

Adults 18 to 75 will be enrolled in the clinical trials, with the first part of the trial to include those 18-55, and the second, 56 to 75 years old, officials said. The study will go on for a year, and will require 10 visits to the research center. Any individual who takes part will be paid $975, officials said.

The Cincinnati study will include 15 to 20 participants, and, nationwide, trial coordinators are looking to test the vaccine in about 80 people. Scroll to the end of the story to find out how to enroll.

There will be no placebo in the trial, Spearman said. Those who take part will get specific instructions, but basically, the trial is expected to go on for a year. And while the participants will get a non-needle vaccine (because is intranasal) of CVXGA1, they will have to have blood drawn so that researchers can examine their immune response,including antibodies.

Spearman could not be sure when CVXGA1 could be approved for use but said it's possible that if clinical trials go well the FDA could give the OK for use by mid-2022.

In addition, Spearman is hopeful that "down the road," CVXGA1 can be used for children, who often are frightened of injections. That would also require clinical trials for children.

Thevaccine could also become a booster for those who've already been vaccinated against COVID-19, he said.

The two other testing sites are KPAR, Kentucky Pediatric and Adult Research, a center in Bardstown, Kentucky, and the University of Rochester, in Rochester, New York.

To enroll in the study go to the Cincinnati Children's vaccine research enrollment link (the preferred method); or email gambleprogram@cchmc. If you do not have online access, you may call513-636-7699.

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A COVID-19 vaccine in the nose? Cincinnati Children's will lead trial - The Cincinnati Enquirer

How Indianapolis Colts players are handling COVID protocols

Sports Seriously: Mackenzie Salmon caught up with Colts running back Nyheim Hines to talk about his teams reaction to the latest COVID protocols mandated by the league.

USA TODAY

INDIANAPOLIS Carson Wentz spent three days attending Zoom meetings and rehabbing his injured left foot at home.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback also used the time to think about how to avoid another trip to the reserve/COVID-19 list.

On Thursday, Wentz returned to practice still unvaccinated but with a stronger commitment to the leagues safety protocols after he and two other starters were activated.

Ive weighed a lot of things, Ive factored in everything, he said. I know whats at stake, I know all of those things and like I said, its just where Im at, where Im at with my family. Thats why just understanding the protocol to truly try everything we can to avoid what happened this week, it is what it is. The protocols are in place. So weve got to honor them as best we can so we can avoid what happened.

OPINION: What did you think would happen, Carson Wentz?

OPINION: Bill Belichick irresponsible to mislead about efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

This was a big week for Wentz for all the wrong reasons.

Coach Frank Reich announced Sunday he wanted to test Wentzs foot to see if it could withstand the rigors of an NFL game. The plan was to use Wentz at all four workouts without limitations for the first time since he had a bone fragment removed Aug. 2.

Instead, team officials were forced to revise the schedule when Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and receiver Zach Pascal were deemed to be close contacts to someone who tested positive for the virus. Because league protocols require unvaccinated players to sit out vaccinated players do not if they continue to test negative a public debate ensued about Wentzs vaccination status and that of the Colts, who have one of the leagues lowest vaccination rates.

While Wentz, Kelly and Pascal were all out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the former North Dakota State star naturally became the biggest target. Wentz was criticized in the media and by fans who warmly embraced him after being traded from Philadelphia to Indy in March.

Reich even had to come to Wentzs defense Tuesday when he was asked if Wentzs aversion to take the shot demonstrated a lack of leadership.

The questions continued when Wentz returned to the field, still limited though taking most of the first-team snaps.

It felt great to finally get out there in full pads, he said. Obviously, Id hoped to get out there earlier this week.

What everyone wants to know now is whether Wentz will be the starter Sept. 12 against Seattle?

The answer might not come until next Thursday. Indy doesnt practice again until Monday and Wentz hasnt been full-go on consecutive days since late July.

Reich is optimistic.

Hes got to come back Monday and if all goes well then hell go and Wednesday and then well see, he said. The only way that would be inhibited is if he couldnt go Thursday.

The virus isnt the only thing that could put Indy at a disadvantage.

Team officials announced four-time Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton, third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger and second-year receiver Dezmon Patmon were put on injured reserve.

Hilton had surgery on a injured disk in his neck earlier this week, a procedure general manager Chris Ballard said gave Hilton instant relief. Theyre not sure how much time hell miss but expect him back later this season.

Ehlinger sprained his right knee in the preseason finale at Detroit. Patmon is out with a foot injury.

And, as the Colts already have learned, vaccinations arent necessarily the answer, either.

Nine players have already been on the COVID-19 list, most as close contacts. Reich missed the first week of training camp and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus missed the first two games after positive tests. Both coaches were fully vaccinated.

I know what it felt like last year to not have the main guys up there, you lose a big game against Tennessee, at home, we should have won and had the division title, unvaccinated All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard said. Were not going to do anything stupid as hell to put our team or our teammates in jeopardy of that.

So while this weeks absence gave Wentz time to rethink his decision and what he could do better, hes yet not ready to get the shots.

This has been a fluid process for me this whole time, he said. Thats kind of where weve been as a family, weve just been monitoring everything we can, letting it play out as long as we can. This is where were at today and things could change in the next coming week, who knows?

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Colts QB Carson Wentz still unsure on COVID-19 vaccine after being sidelined by close contact - USA TODAY

Vaccination rates in Oregon are steadily trending upward, as the effort to vaccinate residents against COVID-19 increasingly turns to hyper-local community efforts.

The Oregon Health Authority said the state is now averaging 8,771 vaccinations per day -- nearly double the number from six weeks ago.

Public health officials suspect that a so-far unspecified number of those increased inoculations in Oregon are due to residents seeking out third shots the federal government authorized the third shot of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines for some people with weakened immune systems on Aug. 13 and at least one million have been administered across the country since then. The health authority plans to start separately reporting the number of third shots next week.

But even so, state officials believe a significant portion of Oregons increasing vaccination numbers is due to unvaccinated residents getting vaccinated for the first time.

Vaccination rates increased at a far faster pace in many of the counties that have been hardest hit this summer. While the seven-day rolling average in the state has nearly doubled since mid-July, the average has come close to or more than tripled in Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Harney, Malheur and Tillamook counties. In tiny, 7,000-resident Wallowa County, five times the number of people are getting vaccinated now compared to six weeks ago 16 people per day on average, compared to just three in mid-July.

A bump in vaccine rates is welcome news as the delta variant of the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in Oregon. On Thursday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 2,449 coronavirus cases and 27 deaths, with 1,131 hospitalizations, a 47-patient decline since Wednesday and a possible sign Oregon might be nearing its peak. Some forecasts predict that high point will come in the next few days or few weeks.

Most Oregonians getting sick with COVID-19 illness now are unvaccinated, and this is entirely preventable, Oregon Health Authority spokesman Rudy Owens said. Statewide, OHAs vaccination planning focuses on achieving equity, maintaining vaccination services in a wide range of accessible settings, answering questions about the decision to be vaccinated, and ensuring we have supply available, where it is needed.

The Oregon Health Authority is organizing 57 vaccination events across the state in September and October, Owens said, and will be going door-to-door to answer questions about the vaccines.

This effort recognizes that personal conversations can be an effective strategy to share information with people who are hesitant, he said.

The state hasnt planned any events in Douglas County this fall, despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in southern Oregon that overwhelmed area hospitals.

On Thursday, Douglas County reported 146 new COVID-19 cases, as well as an additional 681 people vaccinated last week. State figures show 51% of adults in the county are now at least partially vaccinated, following a steady increase in vaccinations following the surge in cases.

Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, the countys public health, attributed the rise in vaccination rates to a variety of factors, including the increase in cases that filled local hospitals, the widespread availability of vaccines and the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine.

People are worried, he said. As people see more deaths and see more deaths around town, I think that really hits close to home. And then seeing the hospital so crowded really hits close to home.

But Dannenhoffer also attributed the new vaccinations to a concerted effort in Douglas County to bring vaccines and expert medical information into underserved or vaccine-resistant communities just one of many such efforts occurring in Oregon this summer.

Kevin Alejandrez, community navigator for Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del Noroeste, said the Woodburn-based organization has been helping farmworkers and working-class families of Latin American descent get vaccinated by helping dispel fears and misinformation, then pointing people to local vaccine clinics.

It really depends on the people, we try to meet them where theyre at, Alejandrez said. We dont try to pressure anybody or force anything on anybody, we just try to have conversation with them.

Unlike many conservative-leaning white communities, where vaccine resistance is often a form of political expression, some in local Latin American communities remain unvaccinated due to pre-existing societal barriers that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, Alejandrez said. Many people struggle to take time off work, and some face language barriers. Those who are undocumented may fear showing up at any government-run clinic, he said.

Meanwhile, the wildfires and heat waves this summer are forcing farm workers and families into tighter living conditions as they seek shelter, aiding in the spread of the virus.

Its important to recognize how all of this affects farm workers and more vulnerable, marginalized communities in general, Alejandrez said. All these things affect one another.

The same issues are playing out in the many different communities served by the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, a Portland organization that supports Asians and Pacific Islanders of various ethnic backgrounds across the state.

Duncan Hwang, interim co-executive director of the organization, said language barriers, time off work, transportation issues and misinformation all hamper efforts to vaccinate the diverse Pacific Islander and Asian communities in Oregon though both ethnic groups lead Oregons statewide vaccination effort, with vaccination rates of 89% and 69% respectively in adults, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

If you look at the general aggregated data, it appears our community is doing quite well, Hwang said, though he acknowledged there is still much work to be done.

Hwang said face masks are not typically a contentious issue in local Asian-American communities, where those from countries like China and Japan are accustomed to masking up in public when they are sick. The bigger concern has been the rise in hate crimes targeting Asian people during the pandemic, which has increased fears about using public transportation, going into public places and sending kids back to schools, he said.

I think theres just a general sense of unease and not (being) sure whats going on, and also not sure what the fall is going to look like, Hwang said.

While some advocacy groups take their own approach, other community organizations have joined up with government agencies to boost vaccinations.

In Portland, the Coalition of African and African American Pastors was just one of the groups involved in the Soul 2 Soul drive-through vaccine clinic in the Lloyd Center Regal Cinemas parking lot last Saturday. Other sponsors included the governors office and several local health systems and counties.

Hope is a message that is best offered by people who care about you and your familys well-being, said Dr. Avery Stafford, the lead pastor at Common Ground Church, a member of the coalition.

The coalition, he said, has held more than 50 vaccination clinics over the last year in the Portland area.

These events go beyond an anonymous message of hope, Stafford said. They provide practical, accessible assistance from people who live in their community, know the history and challenges of their community, and are laser-focused on blessing the people of their community.

The Soul 2 Soul event featured incentives for those getting their first shot, including Visa gift cards, school supplies and clothes. There will also raffles for college scholarships and mystery boxes with iPads, laptops and more.

Incentives are also part of an effort to vaccinate some Native American communities. On the Oregon coast, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is offering tribal members $200 each to get the vaccine, either at the local Siletz Community Health Clinic or elsewhere. The surge in COVID-19 cases forced the tribe to temporarily close its Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City and cancel its annual Run to the Rogue event.

In Douglas County, a small group known as the Tiger Team has taken on the job of increasing vaccinations.

The team includes former fire chief, a registered nurse, a medical assistant and two logisticians (including one who speaks Spanish) who travel to vaccine-resistant communities where they host pop-up clinics and try to convince locals to get vaccinated, said Dannenhoffer, the countys public health officer.

Their approach is simply to educate people about the risks of the coronavirus, and offer facts about the vaccine just as public health officials might educate people about the benefits of using seatbelts, quitting smoking or practicing safe sex.

Like the other community efforts in Oregon, the Tiger Team approaches vaccination hesitancy with grace, offering reliable information that is ultimately up to individuals to accept or not.

We dont shame people, we dont blame people, we try to encourage them to [get vaccinated], Dannenhoffer said. And when youre ready to do it, we want to make it as easy as possible.

- Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

Reporter Lizzy Acker contributed to this report.

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Oregon COVID-19 vaccinations on rise with help from community groups - OregonLive