On the road: bringing COVID-19 vaccines and health care to the people

Available in Spanish Getting health care and COVID-19 vaccines to the rural areas of 1,000-square-mile Clatsop County has been challenging at times, but a new mobile health clinic is changing that. This summer, the county was able to buy a mobile health clinic funded by a grant from the Oregon Health Authority. “The van has […]

Vaccine Voices: On a mission to get a booster. ‘We are grateful that it was easy.’

On a blustery day in October, Deborah “Debbie” Becker had just one mission—to get her COVID-19 booster. At 71, both Debbie and her husband Randy, 73, have underlying conditions and are committed to protecting their health. But it wasn’t looking good.  

Mobile Vaccination Unit gives people easy access, information and support

To some it may look like just another tour bus, but to those awaiting it, the big yellow rig is a ray of brightness in a world that sometimes seems to have run amok. Which may explain why no one working and volunteering on the FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit (MVU) is the least bit surprised when there are tears.

Creating opportunities for youth with disabilities and their families to get vaccinated

When they received the news that their organization would receive Health Equity Grant funds to reduce the sense of isolation in children with disabilities and their families, Creating Opportunities put on their khaki shorts and started planning a big drive-thru safari event. As a community-based organization for families of children and adults with developmental disabilities […]

Sixteen-year-old is 1,000th vaccine recipient at Wasco site

It was all smiles for 16-year-old Isaias Moran as he became the 1,000th person vaccinated at the St. Mary’s Academy mobile vaccine unit in The Dalles on Friday. The mobile vaccine unit is located at the St. Mary’s Academy parking lot on the corner of 10th and Cherry Heights in The Dalles and offers Pfizer […]

Hard work and community impact led the response in the Jackson County FEMA effort

Since April of this year, the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Unit (CRRU), FEMA, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Jackson County Health and Human Services, Jackson County Emergency Management and many more partners joined together in an effort to accelerate vaccination for historically underserved communities at high risk of infection in Jackson County. June 15 was the last day of the Jackson County Vaccination Equity Center at […]

Doing it together: longtime history of community partnerships in the gorge

Right along one of the main streets into town and up to the orchards in The Dalles is St. Mary’s Academy. If you’ve lived in Wasco County for any amount of time, you know the location. The school has been a fixture in the community for more than a century, but now the school’s parking […]

One Community Health: A testament to collaboration

This Friday, June 11, One Community Health will be administering Pfizer vaccines in style, offering food and live music to all who attend their event in the Dalles. Preventative Health Manager Gladys Rivera readily admits that the event is more of a celebration than a formal clinic. After all, Wasco County has almost reached 65%. […]

OHA team finds a way to bring testing and vaccines to communities

Last fall, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Testing Program Manager, Kristen Donheffner came up with a plan to create more access to COVID-19 testing in Oregon.   “You know I had this kind of wild idea,” Kristen said. “How about we get some vans? They could drive to a farm and test people right where they are. They could […]

“Take a Bite out of Covid” mobile vaccine event in downtown The Dalles

Take a Bite out of Covid will be held on Friday, May 7, a mobile vaccine clinic will visit several local restaurant/pubs and offer the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and all participants will receive $10 in tokens for food.  The North Central Public Health District (NCPHD) has made use of a van provided by Wasco County […]