Scott Swanson
Editor’s note: See update on vaccinations below.
The Jim Riggs Community Center was a bustle of activity – carefully organized – Saturday, April 17, as Samaritan Health conducted a COVID vaccination clinic for local residents.
“We identified that Sweet Home would have some residents here who would have a challenging time to get into Albany, to the Expo Center,” said Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital CEO Marty Cahill as he watched a line of nurses and doctors administer vaccinations Saturday morning in the Boys & Girls Club gymnasium. “So what we did was take 350 doses and set them aside for Sweet Home.”
About half the patients were scheduled through Sweet Home Family Medicine, he said.
“We then opened up the schedule for all the folks.”
The clinic ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and he said most of the slots were full.
Sweet Home Rotary Club members helped direct traffic outside. Inside the gym, patients filled out forms and then were directed to open stations where they got the first of two Pfizer vaccination shots. The second will be administered on May 8.
It was an orderly and efficient process.
“We’re set up on about a half-hour rotation and we’re running a minute off,” he said.
Cahill said that anyone who missed the local clinic can get inoculated at either Linn County’s clinic at the Expo Center (see below) or at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, where another public clinic is being conducted.
Vaccinations are also available at local pharmacies.
Cahill said he hopes the county clinic will begin to offer vaccinations on Saturday soon.
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This week Linn County Public Health will host COVID-19 vaccination clinics from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road.
Vaccinations are now open to anyone who is at least 16 years old.
As of Tuesday afternoon, April 20, Linn County Public Health had 800 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine available for Wednesday’s clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road.
Vaccinations are now open to anyone who is at least 16 years old, but individuals must be at least 18 years old to receive the Moderna vaccine.
Register online at the Linn County Public Health website http://www.linncountyhealth.org.
For those who have difficulties accessing the Internet, call the Samaritan Health Services COVID-19 hotline at 855-441-2311 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For second-dose appointments, individuals should arrive at the same time as their first dosage on their scheduled day.
The second dose appointment date is written on the back of individual’s white immunization card.
Wednesday’s clinic will feature 2,000 new doses of the Moderna vaccine.
People must be at least 18 years old to receive the Moderna vaccine.
Register online at the Linn County Public Health website http://www.linncountyhealth.org.
For those who have difficulties accessing the Internet, call the Samaritan Health Services COVID-19 hotline at 855-441-2311 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.