Lane County health officials, hospital leaders to expand vaccination efforts

The county has plans in place for mass vaccination efforts in the future, such as drive-thru events where community members can quickly and efficiently receive their first dose.

Be vaccinated.

Governor brown's goal is keeping local health officials on their toes.... this, as the general public and those in high risk jobs... wait to hear when it will be their turn to roll up their sleeves.

Kezi 9 news reporter kennedy dendy shows us how it's going so far, in lane county.

Davis: "governor brown set a standard that is quite high."

Lane county public health spokesman jason davis says mass vaccination efforts are in the county's future.

Right now, at least 43-hundred people have been vaccinated.

That number could be even higher... because of federal contracts with pharmacies.

Davis: "you can rest assured that lane county will be ready for action as soon as we have the vaccine available in large doses for the general public."

Bridge: while lane county public health has not laid hands on a covid-19 vaccine just yet, local hospitals have already vaccinated thousands of staff members.

Remember they get priority in the first phase.

Dr: "we built an engine that runs pretty well we just need the gas.

The vaccine to kind of keep it going."

Dr. james mcgovern is the vice president of medical affairs for peacehealth.

He says they've been able to process more than 500 individuals a day.

As they protect those on the front lines, they're hoping that people's behavior over the holidays... doesn't lead to a spike in hospitalizations.

Dr: "i'm certainly hoping that the surge that we have is small and that you know people have done the things that they need to do to prevent spread over the holidays.

But expecting something of an increase over the next several weeks."

He says while they haven't been vaccinating people as fast as they'd hoped..

There is still a light at the end of the tunnel.

Reporting in lane county kennedy dendy kezi