As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Coast Community Health Center has been able to access expanded vaccination guidelines. As of last week, Coast CHC has been able to vaccinate anyone over the age of 18. The Human Resources and Service Administration and Centers for Disease Control were instrumental in expanding the guidance to all HRSA supported sites. HRSA supports health equity by supporting 1385 health centers nationally.

Coast CHC’s Chief Medical Officer Ann Kellogg said, “We are excited to open up our vaccine clinics and grateful for the ability to do so,” after receiving the new guidance last week.

Over the past two months, Coast CHC has prioritized COVID vaccination with regular vaccine clinics in Bandon and Port Orford. Each week in March, Coast has given out 200-400 Moderna vaccines. Coast CHC has not yet received any Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer vaccines.

“The effort has been monumental both in terms of staff time and efforts. Our staff has been highly dedicated, and we are grateful for our colleagues at the Bandon Community Center and Port Orford Christian Center’s generous support,” said Amanda Saunders, clinical site manager for the health center’s Bandon clinic.

Receiving a COVID vaccination will help our community to obtain herd immunity; however, your medical care is your choice, and Coast CHC understands you may have concerns about the vaccine. Coast CHC encourages our community to get information about the vaccine from quality sources such as the CDC, Oregon Health Authority, and World Health Organization.

Upon expanding eligibility, Coast CHC increased the number of vaccination clinics available to residents.

Pre-registration is required. To sign up for a vaccination appointment or learn more about Coast Community Health Center, visit the health center website CoastCommunityHealth.org.

Press release contributed by Coast Community Health Center.

Local health organizations are working with state and county health departments to administer free COVID-19 vaccines at health centers, pharmacies and community venues such as the Bandon Community Center.

Weekly vaccine supply and phased eligibility guidelines influence distribution and event planning. Those who want to register for a vaccine event or join a waitlist have several options.

Contact with your primary care provider is a good place to start. Vaccines are available at some primary care offices. That means patients may be able to receive a vaccine where they usually visit their doctor or nurse practitioner.

Coos County residents, including those who do not have a primary care provider, can join the notification list with Coos Health and Wellness. Those who register can expect notification from a local health provider when vaccines are offered at health centers or public venues such as the Bandon Community Center. Registration is open to all adult members of the community, available online at CoosHealthandWellness.org or by phone 541-266-6700.

Curry Health Network also offers waitlist registration online for Curry County residents.

Monday clinics with Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center

Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center will hold Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics each Monday at the Bandon Community Center until further notice.

Vaccine supply is limited, and advance registration is required.

Register Online with the Community Health Events Scheduler

Call the Coos County Community Vaccination Schedule phone line: 541-435-7553

Visit the Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center website

Eligibility

People in Phases 1 & 2 are eligible to receive the vaccine, which includes everyone 18 and older, unconditionally.

Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center is administering the Moderna vaccine, which requires an initial shot followed by a booster four weeks later.

Currently, the only vaccine that has been authorized by the FDA for use by people under the age of 18 is the Pfizer vaccine. Sixteen and 17-year-old people are encouraged look for appointments in locations that have access to the Pfizer vaccine.

COVID-19 Resources from Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center

Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness

Vaccine appointments have filled quickly from the start of the vaccination rollout, noted Scott McEachern, speaking for Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center.

“The demand is so high,” he said. “People really want to get their vaccines.”

Southern Coos staff understand that residents may have questions about vaccine safety and efficacy. And they offer research and testing results to help answer those questions.

Safe and effective vaccines play a huge part in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and making a return to normal life a possibility. The federal Food and Drug Administration requires rigorous safety testing before it will approve any vaccine. Tens of thousands of people from many diverse backgrounds, age groups, and geographic locations participated in COVID-19 vaccine testing.

Based on the data collected, the FDA authorized three different vaccines for emergency use in the United States: the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Following further independent review by nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunizations and public health, all three vaccines were deemed safe and effective.

Millions of Americans have now been vaccinated, and strict ongoing checks show no safety concerns. It will take some time before every Oregonian who wants to get vaccinated can do so. Oregon Health Authority has been following a phased approach to vaccination and is steadily working through the vaccine phases.

Leading by Example

Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center has vaccinated a high percentage of its healthcare workers. Per federal guidelines, organizations, even hospitals, are not allowed to mandate the vaccine for their employees. However, SCHHC strongly encourages employees to be vaccinated.

In addition, mandatory masking, COVID-19 screening, distancing, and sanitizing protocols are in place for the entire SCHHC campus and for vaccine clinics at the Bandon Community Center.

To learn more about vaccinations in Oregon, visit the SCHHC COVID-19 web page -or- the Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Response page.