MEDFORD, Ore. President and CEO of Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries, Shae Johns, said they’re feeling overjoyed and grateful. The Medford non-profit got $5 million in donations last week.
According to her personal blog, philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott announced she gave away billions of dollars over the past four months. Scott says she’s donated over $4.1 billion to 384 organizations across the U.S. Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries is on that list.
“It’s a great testament to the work that Goodwill around the country, specifically Southern Oregon Goodwill has done to help improve the lives of people living in poverty and marginalized populations,” said Shae Johns, president and CEO of Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries.
But Jackson County Health Officer Dr. Jim Shames says a ‘new normal’ will take time.
“We both don’t have enough vaccine nor do we have enough infrastructure to vaccinate everyone at once,” said Dr. Shames.
He says health officials still don’t know if ‘herd immunity’ is possible or how long it will take.
That means the virus can no longer being transmitted anymore either because so many people are vaccinated or already had the disease.
“When you talk about measles, you’ve got to have about 95 percent of the population immunized cause it’s so darn contagious. Covid is less so, but it’s still pretty contagious. We’re expecting that number to be about 70 percent,” said Dr. Shames.
It’s a massive effort never completed in our lifetimes.
And with that, local health officials say there’s bound to be hurdles and set backs.
Josephine County Health Officer Dr. David Candelaria says Oregon was initially going to get 50 to 100,000 Pfizer vaccine doses, but that number was reduced to over 30,000.
“Even the amount of vaccine that we initially thought was going to come was going to be inadequate to meet full need or the full intent of the first round of vaccinations,” said Dr. Candelaria.
Because of the limited supply, Dr. Candelaria says high population areas like Portland, Salem, and Eugene will get the doses first.
First comes the alcohol swab, then a little pinch.
Now, Marianne Robison is making history.
“I don’t know if I’m getting the placebo or the vaccine. This is the case where you wake up the next day feeling a little achey going yea, I got it,” said Robison.
The retired Talent Middle School teacher is one of hundreds participating in Covid-19 vaccine trials at ‘Velocity Clinical Research’ in Medford.
She’s hoping to set an example for her younger brother who’s skeptical about vaccines.
“I try to be that reasoning mind with him saying this is what science is saying and this needs to happen so I can see you again. He lives in Montana and until we get through this pandemic, I can’t travel to go see him, or be near him, or hug him, and it’s heartbreaking,” said Robison.
Politicization of Covid-19 vaccine leads to hesitancy, officials say - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2 kobi5.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kobi5.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.