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State pushes up next phase of vaccine eligibility to April 19 By Ryan Pfeil Updated: Apr 06, 2021 07:57 AM A A FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits the Marion County and Salem Health COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Salem, Ore. Brown said Friday, March 5, 2021, that she is issuing an executive order mandating that all public schools provide universal access to in-person learning by the month's end for students up to fifth grade and by mid-April for older students. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman-Journal via AP, Pool, File) All Oregonians age 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine April 19, nearly two weeks sooner than the original May 1 date, Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday. “We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants,” Brown said in a news release. “Today, Oregon will pass the threshold of 2 million vaccine doses administered. And yet, in communities across Oregon, COVID-19 is spreading at concerning rates. We must move as quickly as possible to get more shots in arms.” The idea of a “race” to get people vaccinated quicker because of circulating variants has been echoed locally by Dr. Jim Shames of Jackson County Public Health. Multiple laboratories across Oregon are studying the mutations, some of which are more infectious. “The underlying concern that the whole country has is that we do have rising variant (cases),” Shames said Monday. Twitter Brown also announced additional focus on equity for people of color and others who “have been disproportionately hard-hit by this disease.” “We must reach Oregonians where they are, including those who may not have easy access to health care or the ability to take time off from work,” she said. Brown’s announcement comes one day after vaccine eligibility expanded to multigenerational households, frontline workers, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and age-eligible family members in the same household, and people age 16 to 44 with at least one underlying health condition. “My office will work closely with the White House to ensure Oregon receives our fair share of federal vaccine supplies, so we can continue with a fast, fair, and equitable vaccine distribution process,” Brown said. Information on vaccine eligibility and how to sign up for one in Jackson County is online at jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/General/News-Information/covid-19-vaccine-1 . As of Monday, 771,752 Oregonians were considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 497,299 others had received one shot in a two-dose regimen, according to Oregon Health Authority data . That equated to 1,998,429 total vaccine doses administered, OHA data showed. County-specific data on vaccinations has not been available for nearly a week. Reach Mail Tribune web editor Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ryanpfeil .