Governor Kate Brown: Oregon Not Vaccinating Fast Enough

SALEM, Ore. – Governor Kate Brown says Oregon is not vaccinating fast enough.

She says the state has administered about the same percentage of vaccinations as other states, but more needs to be done.

So she’s directed the Oregon Health Authority to vaccinate 12,000 Oregonians per day by the end of the next two weeks.

She says that number  puts Oregon on track to deploy every vaccine in stock each week.

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today issued a statement on COVID-19 vaccination in Oregon:

“Let me be clear: we must vaccinate Oregonians as quickly as possible. Oregon families, schools, and businesses are counting on rapid vaccine distribution. We all are.

“By percentage of our population, Oregon has administered about the same number of vaccinations as other states, and distribution will continue to ramp up quickly. We have increased vaccinations from about 3,700 given in our first week to over 29,000 in the last week.

“But Oregon, like most of the country, is not moving fast enough. All states are grappling with the same logistical challenges, and while we are making steady progress, we must move even more quickly when every vaccination has the potential to save someone’s life.

“Today, I directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to achieve the benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations administered in Oregon per day by the end of the next two weeks. That will put us on track to deploy every vaccine we have in our hands each week. OHA will be working with health care providers, pharmacies, and local public health partners to streamline the distribution process to achieve that goal.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I have directed OHA to partner as widely as possible to ensure we are using all available resources to ramp up Oregon’s vaccinations rapidly.”