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Aviva Health holds mass vaccination event Saturday

Written by on January 23, 2021

Roseburg, Ore. – , Saturday, January 23, 2021, Aviva Health, in cooperation with Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN), the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT), Douglas County, Umpqua Health Alliance and over 100 volunteers from across the county, held the first mass COVID-19 vaccination event in Douglas County for eligible residents who fell within the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Phase 1a vaccine prioritization schedule. The vaccination event took place in Douglas Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, with the goal of administering 600 vaccinations. This event was not open to the general public, as those that were eligible for the vaccine were given the opportunity to sign up for the event.

“We know our community is eager to receive the vaccination, and we’re doing everything we can to quickly move through OHA’s Phase 1a vaccine sequencing list so we can begin vaccinating the general public,” KC Bolton, CEO of Aviva Health said. “It’s our intent to make the vaccine available to everyone as fast as we can, and we’re hopeful future allotments from the state will arrive expeditiously.”

Aviva Health acquired the supply of vaccines from Mercy Medical Center, and the goal is to plan more events for eligible populations as more vaccine becomes available. DPHN handled the pre-registration of eligible individuals who fell within OHA’s Phase 1a criteria, and quickly filled all the available slots for the available vaccines. They also created a waiting list in case of no shows, ensuring that none of the vaccines, which have a limited shelf life once removed from refrigeration go to waste.

A mass vaccination of this size and scale in Douglas County requires broad support from organizations and individuals well beyond the walls of Aviva Health. “We’re leaning heavily on partner organizations and other volunteers to ensure the event is a success,” commented Bolton. “If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s that over these last several months’ different health care organizations from across the county are coalescing in response to COVID-19, and that kind of partnership and collaboration is critical in the success of this kind of effort.”

Public health experts say the vaccine, in combination with other sensible safety measures like masking, social distancing and handwashing, offers the best protection from COVID-19 and continued community spread. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine availability in Douglas County, residents can email vaccines@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org.

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