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

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