What You Need To Know Now That People 16+ with IDD, Their Families, and Support Workers Are Eligible For the COVID Vaccine
People with Developmental Disabilities, their families, and all direct support workers (PSWs, DSPs, and unpaid supports) are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine! COVID vaccines have been tested and proven effective and are arriving now in Oregon. We all have questions about how vaccines will get to all the people who need them. We gathered some information to share about the unfolding COVID-19 vaccination process. Our goal is to provide people with the most accurate information so that they can be healthy, safe and informed about the process.
An Introduction to the COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 rages on in Oregon and across the nation. We are all tired of being careful, having to think and rethink every basic routine. Adapting to new realities and understanding of how we stand to contract and spread this disease. Please, give yourself a pat on the back for how compliant and diligent you have been. But keep in mind that our risk of overrunning our hospitals, killing our front-line medical workers, and harming the people we love is as high as it has ever been. The same protective measures we are all so familiar with are still our best--do not gather indoors with people outside your household, wear a mask when you leave the house, and wash your hands. We cannot afford to let our guard down, for the safety of what matters most.
Testing, Vaccines, and Risk Levels: The Latest on COVID-19 In Oregon
Winter is fast approaching, and we find ourselves in the middle of a very nasty spike in COVID-19 infection, statewide. This poses a deadly risk to every Oregonian--but not all risk is equal. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our state leadership and public health officials have been working to adapt our guidance to incorporate new information and understanding of how this disease spreads. With this spike, the Governor and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have created new guidance that takes into consideration the risk levels present in each county in the state, and what they mean for the people living there. We'll walk through some of the major headlines from Oregon from recent weeks, and break down what they mean for you.