 January 22, 2021
News about the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations nationally and in Oregon is changing quickly. Many ODHS staff are wondering when they will be eligible for vaccination. We don’t have all the answers yet but here are four things that are important for you to know today.
Oregon has prioritized groups for vaccination and is administering the vaccination in phases.
The prioritization follows guidelines from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. You can see the current priority groupings below. Vaccination for those in Phase 1A started in December. Phase 1B starts Monday when educators and school staff for grades 0-12 become eligible for vaccines. Adults age 65 and older also are in Phase 1B and will start getting vaccines February 8, 2021, beginning with those 80 and older. The state’s Vaccine Advisory Committee is working with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to advise on prioritization for the next phases.
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OHA strongly recommends vaccines but is not requiring vaccination of state employees.
Staff who are undecided about getting a vaccine should talk with their health care provider. Due to the severe health risks associated with the disease and the fact that re-infection is possible, vaccination is recommended even for individuals that have had COVID-19 and recovered.
Until we vaccinate enough Oregonians to stop the spread of COVID-19, we all must continue to:
- Wear a face covering when we are around people who don’t live in our home
- Wash our hands often
- Keep our distance from people we don’t live with
- Stay home when sick
- Keep our gatherings small
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Some ODHS positions may be prioritized for vaccinations.
State employees who are health care personnel or in positions that require them to routinely be in facilities included in Phase 1A are now eligible for vaccines. For example, HSD licensing and regulatory staff working in congregate care facilities such as group homes for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and those working in long-term care facilities qualify for Phase 1A vaccination. You can find out how to receive a vaccination here. Currently, state employees who interface with the public outside of the situations described in Phase 1A are not eligible.
ODHS has requested that additional positions be prioritized in future vaccination phases. The list ODHS submitted includes positions with frequent interaction with the public. We’ll share any new information we receive about staff vaccination prioritization and encourage you to check the Oregon COVID-19 Vaccination website regularly.
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Information about vaccinations in Oregon is readily available.
There are a range of resources you can use to keep pace with the rapidly changing vaccination situation.
- OHA's daily Coronavirus Update provides the latest news about COVID-19 in Oregon. It shares a range of helpful information from news about vaccines to ideas for staying healthy to data on cases and hospitalizations. Subscribe here.
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- Visit the OHA COVID-19 Vaccine Website:
- Interactive options for vaccination questions:
- Text ORCOVID to 898211 to get text/SMS updates (English and Spanish only)
- Email ORCOVID@211info.org (All languages)
- If you can’t get your question answered on the website, by text or by email, phone the Call Center at 211 or 1-866-698-6155. It is open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., including holidays. Please be aware that wait times may be long due to high call volumes. There is an option to get a call back rather than wait on hold. Staff take calls in English and Spanish and offer free interpretation for all other languages. For TTY, dial 711 and call 1-866-698-6155.
For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us
The State of Oregon has extended the use of Emergency Paid Sick Leave (CV) through January 31, 2021. Employees who have not used all the 80 hours of CV leave provided by the FFCRA in 2020 may use those remaining hours in the month of January 2021.
Also, effective January 1, 2021 through January 31, 2021, employees who qualify for OFLA and use OFLA sick child leave for school or child care closures due to COVID-19 may have those hours paid using the CXT pay code.
Unprotected paid and unpaid leave is also available as outlined in Scenario 1 on the Guide for Leave Related Absences due to COVID-19.
If you have specific questions please contact the ODHS FMLA/OFLA Unit at FMLA-OFLA.faxes@dhsoha.state.or.us or (503) 945-5646 or reach out to your Senior HR Business Partner.
For more information:
The health of our employees is a top priority. Staff at affected offices are always notified as soon as possible by Human Resources and local management of any potential exposure to COVID-19. Others may also want to get this information emailed to them. Staff can subscribe here to receive email notifications. A master list of offices with a potential COVID-19 exposure and notification letters can be found on the OWL.
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