A
A PAIN
A PAIN FOR A LOT OF FOLKS. AND I PRESSED THE GOVERNOR ON
THAT WHEN I TALKED WITH HER
YESTERDAY >> WEDNESDAY MORNING
SENIORS EIGHT YEARS OLD
AND ABOVE FOUND NO CROWDS AT
THE OREGON CONVENTION CENTER
COVID VACCINATION EFFORT.
THESE WERE AMONG >> THE ONE
THOUSAND LUCKY ONES WHO SNAGGED
AN APPOINTMENT DURING A FRENZY
MONDAY MORNING THAT LEFT MANY
ANGRY AND WITHOUT APPOINTMENTS
>>.
>>.
>>. I
>>. I ASKED GOV. KATE BROWN ABOUT
THAT DURING AN INTERVIEW
TUESDAY >> AND IT WAS KIND OF A
DISASTER.
DISASTER.
DISASTER. THE SITE FOR THE CONVENTION
CENTER OPENED THREE HOURS
BEFORE THEY SAID THEY WOULD.
SENIORS WERE FORCED TO TRY
AND GO THROUGH THIS PORTAL
WHICH WAS CONFUSING AND HARD.
HOW CAN HOW CAN THE STATE MAKE
THAT BETTER?
THAT BETTER? GREAT >> QUESTION.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THERE
WERE HICUPS AND WILL CONTINUE
TO BE HICUPS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IS THAT WE
HAVE SO MANY THOUSANDS
OF OREGONIANS OVER THE AGE
OF 80 THAT WANT THIS VACCINE
>>.
>>.
>>. GOVERNOR BROWN POINTED OUT THAT
SHE'S HELPING STAFF UP THE TWO
ONE ONE CALL CENTER AND THAT
OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY
LAUNCHED A NEW ONLINE
VACCINATION SEARCH TOOL,
ALTHOUGH NEITHER OF THOSE CAN
ACTUALLY MAKE APPOINTMENTS FOR
SENIORS.
SENIORS.
SENIORS. SHE ALSO SAID ROUGHLY 20
PERCENT OF THOSE 80 AND ABOVE
ALREADY GOT A SHOT IN OREGON
BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN LONG TERM
CARE OR SKILLED NURSING
SETTINGS.
SETTINGS.
SETTINGS. AND THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT IN
AT LEAST SOME >> RURAL COUNTIES
SENIORS CAN SIMPLY CALL THEIR
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR. BUT SHE HAD NO ANSWER ON HOW
THE STATE CAN MAKE IT EASIER
FOR SENIORS IN THE PORTLAND
AREA TO ACTUALLY MAKE
APPOINTMENTS FOR COVID SHOTS.
>> THIS IS A MOST WANTED
PRODUCT IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS
AND THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS.
THE PROBLEM IS WE SIMPLY JUST
DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES TO
GO AROUND SO WE'RE WORKING TO
SMOOTH OUT THE HICUPS AND THE
BUMPS.
BUMPS.
BUMPS. WE'RE WORKING TO REDUCE THE
TRAFFIC JAMS.
TRAFFIC JAMS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVERYONE
WHO WANTS A VACCINE OVER THE
AGE OF 80 WILL GET ONE.
BUT I >> WANTED TO KEEP COMING
BACK TO HOW THEY BOOK THE
APPOINTMENT TO GET THE SHOT.
ONE SOLUTION SEEMS OBVIOUS >>.
SO MY >> NEXT QUESTION IS THEN
WHY NOT SET UP A ONE HUNDRED
NUMBER THAT WOULD BE STATE WIDE
WASHINGTON STATE IS DOING
SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH THEIR
VERSION OF TWO ONE ONE AND THE
PROBLEM WITH OUR TWO ONE ONE IS
THOSE PEOPLE CANNOT PLACE
PEOPLE INTO APPOINTMENTS.
I KNOW THE MASSACHUSETTS HAS
DONE THAT.
DONE THAT. WHY CAN'T OREGON DO THAT?
WELL, WE'RE CERTAINLY >>
LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT
WE CAN USE TO GET SENIOR
SCHEDULE AND I HAVE TO SAY I'M
REALLY INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR
OUR SENIORS BEING SO PATIENT
WHILE WE WORK THROUGH THESE
SYSTEMS.
SYSTEMS.
SYSTEMS. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'VE >>
TALKED TO THE SAME SENIORS THAT
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT VERY
PATIENT.
PATIENT.
PATIENT. WELL, WE ARE WORKING AS HARD AS
WE CAN TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE GOVERNOR >> ALSO NOTED THAT
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
SENDING MORE DOSES OF THE
COVIDVACCINE TO OREGON EACH
WEEK AND SOME OF THAT WILL GO
TO NEIGHBORHOOD PHARMACIES THAT
MAY TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE
OFF SENIORS FROM HAVING TO USE
THAT GOVERNMENT PORTAL BUT IT
HASN'T HAPPENED YET IN
NORTHEAST PORTLAND, PAT DOORIS,
KGW NEWS >>.
SO I TAKE THAT STAND UP A
LITTLE BIT AGO IT DIDN'T WANT
TO COME BACK LIVE BECAUSE THIS
IS SUCH BREAKING INFORMATION
THAT WE THINK IS SO IMPORTANT.
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF
YOU WANT TO REGISTER FOR THESE
SHOTS TOMORROW YOU SHOULD
TONIGHT GO ON TO THE PORTAL
THAT'S THE COVIDVACCINE DOT
OREGON DOT GOV AND GO THROUGH
THE ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE.
THAT'S A LITTLE BOT THIS DOWN
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IF YOU
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS
CORRECTLY IF YOU'RE EIGHTY
AND ABOVE OR ONE DAY IT WILL
TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY AND SO YOU
WANT TO GO TO THE CONVENTION
CENTER IT WILL TAKE YOU TO A
PAGE THAT HAS A BUNCH OF TREES
ON IT AND SAYS MY LEGACY
AND DOWN BELOW IT WILL SHOW YOU
THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. THAT'S OK.
THAT'S OK. YOU STILL WANT TO FILL OUT THE
MY LEGACY ACCOUNT YOU CAN
EITHER CREATE A NEW ONE OR YOU
CAN SIGN IN AS A GUEST BUT
THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN
THERE SO THEY CAN VERIFY YOUR
IDENTITY AND YOU'LL HAVE TO DO
THAT TOMORROW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
IF YOU DO IT TONIGHT YOU'LL BE
AHEAD OF THE GAME AND YOU'LL
SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT
OF FRUSTRATION >> FOR YOURSELF.
SO CHECK IT OUT.
BACK TO YOU.
BOY >>, THAT IS A GOOD TIP.
AND THEN THEY OPEN