COVID-19 Vaccination eligibility in Klamath County expanded

/

Sky Lakes scheduling appointments for Saturday COVID-19 clinic

Stock photo

Stock photo

Sky Lakes 2.JPG

The following is a press release from Sky Lakes Medical Center

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Klamath County today received formal permission from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s office to start scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals 16 and older with qualifying underlying health conditions, frontline workers who are face-to-face with the public, and people living in multi-generational households.

All eligible individuals can now schedule their first-dose shot appointments for a Saturday COVID-19 vaccination clinic by calling 1-833-606-4370 weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. COVID-19 vaccinations will be given at Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center on the medical center campus. No walk-in slots or on-site appointments are available. 

Underlying health conditions that put people at increased risk include cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity (BMI of 30 or greater), pregnancy, Type 2 diabetes, and sickle cell disease. Also, people who are immunocompromised from organ transplant or HIV are at increased risk. Multi-generational households are those with three generations or more.

Until today, Klamath County adults aged 45-64 with underlying health conditions, farm and agricultural workers, people living in low-income senior housing, and people 65 and older were eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Besides reducing your own risk of getting COVID-19, there are other reasons to get a vaccine now. For starters, you'll be helping to:

1. Bring an end to the pandemic. When enough people are immunized against COVID-19, the virus will be less able to spread.

2. Protect the healthcare system. When infections surge, Sky Lakes nurses and doctors will have less capacity to care for the very ill. Staying healthy helps ensure that care will be available for those who need it.

3. Safeguard those around you. Getting your shots as soon as you can makes it less likely that you will spread COVID-19 to your loved ones who may not be vaccinated yet.