News & Stories for Oregonians
Rosa Ochoa and her family were eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine because they are in Group 3 of Phase 1A. Rosa shares her story in English and Spanish: Hi, my name is Rosa Ochoa and we are a family of five. We live in Medford, a small town in Oregon. Our health and the […]
“To protect my family, patients, and people around me” was why Joanna De Matias got her vaccine at her clinic along with her coworkers. The only side effect she felt was a sore arm an hour after getting the shot. She said, “I feel great otherwise!” Ms. De Matias shared: “I’m a community health nurse […]
Liam Russell is 16 years old and a junior at Corvallis High School. He uses a power wheelchair for mobility and likes to read, draw, hang out with his friends and to go out to eat good food. He’s been doing distance learning since March of last year. Liam and his parents will get their […]
At today’s news conference Governor Brown shared a video of former state Sen. Margaret Carter receiving her vaccine earlier this morning. Before taking the vaccine, Sen. Carter said, “One of the reasons I’m so ready is I want our community to know I am taking this shot and it’s safe and even though we have […]
Daniel Alrick had some pain in his arm after his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine but, he says, it was “no worse than a flu shot.” “As a person with a disability, I felt very fortunate,” he says. “Everything was arranged; the only thing we were responsible for was transportation.” He managed to carpool […]
As a longtime community health worker, Honorary Vice Consul and Consul of Guatemala for more than 20 years, a leader and advocate in the Portland Metropolitan area, Marta Guembes Herrera has worn many hats. Guembes Herrera has called Portland her home for 30 years and raised her children here. She is passionate about humanitarian rights […]
Longtime Portlander Bill Deiz shared his thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine and the impact of the pandemic with Coronavirus Update (CVU). Deiz, well-known for his career in local TV and radio, is active in Oregon’s community, most recently as a former chair of the Oregon Commission on Voluntary Action and Service and as a member […]
Antwon Chavis, a pediatrician with OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, shares: “I got vaccinated against COVID-19 because the evidence looked promising that it could help bring an end to the pandemic. Also, the African American community has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus, and I know I am more likely to have a negative outcome than many […]
Erin Johns, a respiratory therapist in Gresham, shares her feelings about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: “I was so excited for the opportunity to get vaccinated. I’ve seen COVID destroy lives, and the stress of potentially bringing it home has put a toll on my mental health. Getting the vaccine has given me an invisible superpower and an […]
Susan Prettyman, Social Services Program Manager at Clatsop Community Action, shares her vaccination story: I was vaccinated at an event at the Armory in Astoria, Oregon, which was organized by Columbia Memorial Hospital. Going into the appointment, I felt really anxious and concerned about what the side effects would be, but I also felt reassured, […]
