We spoke with longtime Portlander Bill Deiz in mid-December about his thoughts on taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Deiz, well-known for his career in local TV and radio, is active in Oregon’s community, most recently as a former chair of the Oregon Commission on Voluntary Action and Service and as a member of the Rotary Club of Portland.  

In that interview, Diez shared:   

I realize that COVID-19 has adversely impacted Communities of Color throughout our nation. I have been fortunate that my wife and I are retired and that we remodeled our home in the past few years so that we can age in place. We have all taken this crisis seriously and wear masks when out and about and limit our trips to the store and physically distance at all times, including with family members who do not live with us. 

Deiz spoke of his childhood memories of polio and how eager he had been to get the polio vaccine when it was available. When asked what his reaction to hearing about the vaccine becoming available was, Deiz said, “Three cheers! I am 77 years old and my wife is in her late 60s, so we are vulnerable to COVID-19 because of our ages. I also have underlying medical conditions.”    

We were happy to hear from Bill Deiz recently. He wrote to let us know that he recently received his vaccines after finding out through the news media that he was eligible due to his age.  

You can read the original interview here.  

This article first appeared in the March 11, 2021 issue of Oregon Coronavirus Update.