CORVALLIS — A free mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be offered from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday at Oregon State University’s Reser Stadium for individuals from Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties and who fit the Oregon Health Authority’s definition of Phase 1a and 1b groups, Samaritan Health Services announced.
Out of the 1b group, K-12 educators and staff, early learning and child care staff are eligible.
Samaritan Health Services and the Benton County Health Department are teaming up for the clinic in collaboration with OSU.
The Moderna vaccine will be administered. Samaritan reported in its release that “this vaccine is authorized for individuals 18 and older and has been shown to be 95% effective at preventing illness with COVID-19.”
Officials said that interested individuals must complete a short needs-assessment survey prior to scheduling vaccine appointments. The survey is available online in English at bit.ly/BentonCoGov-Vaccine1a and in Spanish at bit.ly/BentonCoGov-Vacunas1a.
“Samaritan infectious disease specialists, as well as leadership from Samaritan and county health departments, highly recommend everyone receives the vaccination when it is available to them,” the press release states.
Vaccinations will take place on the stadium’s east concourse adjacent to gates A, B and C on Parker Plaza.
Free parking will be available for vaccination clinic patients only in clearly marked areas of the Reser Stadium parking lot located at Southwest Western Boulevard and Southwest 26th Street across from the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus. During the vaccination clinic, the parking area will be closed to OSU commuter parking. Officials said that OSU permit holders may park in any open lot within their permitted zone, including C zone spaces located to the west of Reser Stadium, which can be accessed from the entrance on Southwest 30th Street.
Samaritan said that it will communicate with patients and the general public when vaccines are more widely available. Up-to-date information is posted online at samhealth.org/COVIDVaccine.
In addition, Benton County provides current information about the COVID-19 and eligible vaccine groups at co.benton.or.us/covid19/page/covid-19-vaccine.
The OHA website serves as a resource for coronavirus vaccine distribution phases, frequently asked questions and more at covidvaccine.oregon.gov.