Nearly 70 C.O. children receive COVID-19 vaccine at Mosaic Medical on first day
(Update: Adding video, comments from parent, Mosaic Medical)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) Young teens are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and some Central Oregon parents are jumping at the chance.
David Welton s 13-year-old daughter is signed up for the vaccine, and he s happy she can get back to being a kid. Happy that she can get back to normal,” Welton said. “Have birthday parties and sleepovers and just normal kid things.
This is possible with the Pfizer vaccine eligibility now including 12- to 15-year-olds nationwide.
A Piece of the Puzzle
A Redmond hotel will soon become the city s first year-round shelter thanks to funding from
Project Turnkey, the statewide initiative to convert hotel and motels into housing Amid rising housing costs and stagnant wages, Central Oregon s homeless population is growing, and shelter beds are in short supply. But, this June, at least 25 shelter beds will be added to the mix, as Bend-based nonprofit Bethlehem Inn uses state funding to convert a motel in Redmond. On April 27, Bethlehem Inn received a $2.7 million grant to acquire and convert Redmond s 37-room Greenway Motel. The grant is a part of Project Turnkey, a $65 million statewide initiative to convert up to 20 hotels and motels into housing for people displaced by the 2020 wildfires or people who are homeless. The Redmond motel one of 12 projects funded thus far will shelter unhoused individuals and act as the city s first year-round shelter.
Crook County has made major strides in vaccinating its adult population, particularly its seniors.
But vaccinations rates nationwide and locally are beginning to slow at a time when COVID-19 is starting to have a larger impact on younger residents.
According to Crook County Health Department officials, recent data show that prior to the COVID-19 vaccine s arrival in Crook County, hospitalizations were more common among those ages 60 and older, while people ages 0 to 59 had zero known hospitalizations related to COVID-19. Now that people are getting vaccinated, health officials are seeing a decrease in the number of people being hospitalized who are 60 and older and an increase in hospitalizations for people 0 to 59.
BEND â Francisco Guevara arrived at Bend High School a little earlier than normal Thursday, April 29. The senior was thrilled â after many attempts to sign up, he was finally about to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic inside the schoolâs gym.
âI was so excited,â said Guevara, 18. âEspecially since I work in food service, I was waiting for it to be my turn.â
Guevara wasnât the only one to seize the opportunity. He said half of his third period class was absent because they were in the gym getting vaccinated.
âIâm just glad weâre moving toward a better future with people being vaccinated,â Guevara said.