Hundreds Receive Vaccination at Aviva Health Event at DC Fairgrounds

Aviva Health held a large scale vaccination event today out at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Over 600 people could end up receiving their first dose of vaccine before the day is over. The event was for pre-registered individuals in the Phase 1a vaccine sequencing guidelines from the Oregon Health Authority. The event, which started at 6:30 am this morning and goes till 8 pm Saturday night, was a big undertaking involving several local organizations. Mercy Medical Center provided the 600 vaccine doses, and Aviva Health, Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN), Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (DCCRT), Umpqua Health Alliance, and other volunteers from across the county. “We’re leaning heavily on partner organizations and other volunteers to ensure the event is a success,” says KC Bolton, CEO of Aviva Health. “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.” Today’s event was a result of two weeks of organizational work to pull off. According to Bolton, it’s possible that as many as 1,500 residents could receive the vaccine in a one-day event like this in the future, but vaccine supply is still the big issue. It’s unclear when Douglas County will receive the next vaccine allotment. “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,” says Bolton. “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.” DPHN pre-registered individuals who fall within OHA’s Phase 1a criteria for Saturday’s event. They also created a waitlist in case there were no shows. Officials wanted to make sure none of the vaccine doses went to waste. Once the doses are removed from refrigeration, they have a limited shelf life and must be thrown out if they are not utilized in time. “The COVID-19 vaccine is a major breakthrough in the world’s fight to end the pandemic,” says Bolton. “We’re working diligently with DPHN, DCCRT, other community partners, and OHA to make sure our neighbors in Douglas County receive the vaccination as quickly as possible.” If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccine availability in Douglas County, please email vaccines@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org.