Some counties will accelerate their vaccine eligibility schedule this week under a state plan announced last Friday.

Vaccination eligibility began Monday for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in counties where they are currently already working. Among the counties affected are Umatilla, Morrow and Marion counties. 

Counties that attest to “largely completing” vaccination eligibility for residents 65 and older can move onto the next group on Monday.

The group includes:

• All adults age 45-64 with underlying health conditions

• Migrant and seasonal farm workers

• Pregnant women

• Seafood and agricultural workers

• Food processing workers

• People living in low-income senior housing, senior congregate and independent living

• Homeless people

• People currently displaced by wildfires over the past year

• Wildland firefighters

State officials said residents should check with their local county health care agency to see if the county was moving ahead with additional eligibility.

More information can be found at covidvaccine.oregon.gov or by calling 211. 

Counties that are not currently meeting the standard of mostly completing the vaccination of seniors will begin expanding who can get shots on March 29.

Residents do not need a doctor’s note or other records to sign up under the group of those with underlying health conditions. They will be asked to sign a statement attesting that they qualify because of conditions that include:

• Cancer

• Chronic kidney disease

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

• Down Syndrome

• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies

• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant

• Obesity as defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above

• Sickle cell disease

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that she was moving up the eligibility date for the groups to give them a chance at signing up for vaccinations prior to the new federal mandate that all eligibility limits be removed by May 1.

Brown also announced on Friday that another group set for eligibility on May 1 would be moved up to April 19. It includes:

• Adults 16-44 with underlying health conditions

• Frontline workers as defined by the CDC

• Multigenerational household members

Information on qualification for frontline worker status can be found on the state coronavirus information website listed above.

All Oregonians aged 16 and above will be eligible for vaccination beginning May 1. There is no vaccine currently approved for those 16 and younger.