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Teachers, school workers and child care providers in Marion County can now get Covid vaccines

Teacher Kara Buchheit talks with Kristen Gough and son James, an incoming kindergartner at Kalapuya Elementary School on Thursday, September 17. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

Teachers, school bus drivers, child care providers and preschool workers in Marion County can now get a Covid vaccine at the state fairgrounds through Salem Health’s vaccine clinic.

Oregon planned to begin vaccinating educators Monday, Jan. 25, but Marion County received permission from state health authorities to begin Tuesday, Jan. 19, county spokeswoman Jolene Kelley said. That means anyone working for a school, early learning, preschool or child care center in Marion County is now eligible to receive a vaccine.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has prioritized teachers for Covid vaccines, arguing that vaccinating educators is essential to reopening schools.

The Salem-Keizer School District notified employees Monday via email, urging elementary school employees, middle and high school employees working in-person and district staff who work directly with students to get vaccinated.

The district will not require vaccination as a condition of employment, the email said.

The district spans Marion and Polk counties, but Salem-Keizer district employees can get vaccinated at the fairgrounds even if the school they work in is located in Polk County, Salem Health said on its website.

Polk County has not yet received state permission to begin vaccinating educators, commissioner Craig Pope said, and doesn’t have vaccines available to begin early. He said the county will likely begin next week.

Salem Health has been vaccinating eligible Marion County residents at the state fairgrounds since Jan. 7. In addition to educators, that group includes health care workers, first responders and long-term care facility residents and workers.

Vaccines are still not available to Oregonians based on age. Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday that people 80 and older would become eligible on Feb. 8.

More than 21,000 people, about 6% of Marion County residents, have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to Oregon Health Authority data. In Polk County, about 6,000 people have been vaccinated, about 7% of the county population. Both counties have higher vaccination rates than any urban Oregon county.

The Salem Health clinic is operating at the state fairgrounds until 6 p.m. Tuesday and will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 20, reopening on Jan. 21 if vaccine supply is available, Salem Health said on its website. School employees may be asked to show work ID to receive a vaccine.

More information and paperwork to fill out is available on the Salem Health website.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.