Hundreds of kids vaccinated before Oregon Exclusion Day
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — About 100 kids received their vaccinations in Multnomah County Saturday at the 3rd of 4 pop-up vaccine clinics just days before unvaccinated students won’t be allowed to attend school.
The Oregon Immunization Exclusion Day is this coming Wednesday, February 21. State law requires Oregon families to ensure their children are vaccinated or have an exemption before they’re unenrolled from schools or childcare facilities.
According to Multnomah County, 108,000 children and students in the area are expected to meet the school immunization requirements by the deadline.
Senators Wyden, Merkley announce $70K ‘quadruple win’ for the Oregon Food Bank
Officials have already notified parents of the looming date. On Feb. 7, the county health department sent exclusion orders to about 5,600 families.
“We want to make sure our communities are protected and have very low-barrier access to the vaccines that are needed,” Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno told KOIN 6 News on Saturday. “So we don’t check for insurance. We have a great supply of vaccines for anybody who needs it and it’s a free event for anybody who needs to get caught up on vaccines.”
At the pop-up clinics, there are resource tables set up for anyone who’s interested in getting food stamps or enrolling in SNAP programs as well as navigators to help people on the Oregon Health Plan sign up for insurance.
“We have half-a-dozen language interpreters here to make sure people can get through this vaccine process,” Bruno said. “We have written explanations of what the vaccines are and what to look out for, and many are in different languages.
The county also mailed about 5,600 notices in February 2023, but that number has increased by about 12% in recent years. Officials sent almost 5,000 notices in 2020, prior to the pandemic.
“We just want parents to be able to get their kids vaccinated in communities are get their kids vaccinated to protect against a multitude of different diseases that are making their way through our community right now causing unnecessary harm to kids and their families,” Bruno said. “So I think it’s a really good idea for parents to come and get protected so their kids don’t get sick and die from diseases like the flu, measles or pneumonia. So we have all those immunizations available.”
2 storm-damaged Portland schools won’t reopen this school year, frustrating parents
The final pop-up clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 21, on Exclusion Day. It will be held at CareOregon’s Boys & Girls Club at Rockwood on 454 SE 165th Ave. Only walk-ins are accepted for this event.
The clinic will include vaccines against influenza, measles, hepatitis and more. The Oregon Health Authority has a full list of the immunizations required for the 2023-24 school year.
“Vaccine-preventable diseases can be highly contagious, with several cases of measles recently taking place in the Pacific Northwest and across the U.S.,” Stacy de Assis Matthews, school law coordinator in OHA’s Public Health Division, said in a statement. “Immunizations remain the best way to stop that spread, keeping kids and school communities healthy and safe.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
