OHA completes recruitment for COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee

Dec. 31, 2020

27-member group to create sequencing for COVID-19 immunizations

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority has completed recruitment for its Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) that will determine the sequence in which new COVID-19 vaccines are distributed around the state.

The 27-member committee will advise OHA on vaccine sequencing for phases 1b, 1c and 2 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, with the goal of prioritizing communities most affected by COVID-19. The COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee will be grounded in OHA’s definition of health equity, which—as cited in this excerpt—is a health system where “all people can reach their full health potential and well-being and are not disadvantaged by their race, ethnicity, language, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances.”

To advance health equity, and counter unjust COVID-19 inequities, the COVID-19 VAC will:

Advise OHA on the ethical principles that should guide decisions on sequencing of COVID-19 vaccines.
Review data on COVID-19 and immunization inequities.
Advise OHA on which workers, high-risk groups or critical populations should be sequenced at what time, taking into consideration where they are located across the state.

The committee roster is as follows:

Name	Agency or Organization
Aileen Duldulao	Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition
Cherity Bloom-Miller	Siletz Community Health Clinic
Christine Sanders	Rockwood Community Development Corporation
Daysi Bedolla Sotelo	Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)
Debra Whitefoot	Nch'i Wana Housing
DeLeesa Meashintubby	Volunteers in Medicine
Derick Du Vivier	Oregon Health Policy Board - Health Equity Committee
Dolores Martinez	Euvalcree
George Conway	Deschutes County Health Services
Kalani Raphael	Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition
Kelly Gonzales	Portland State University
Kristin Milligan	Community Volunteer Network
Laurie Skokan	Providence Medical Group
Leslie Sutton	Council on Developmental Disabilities
Maleka Taylor	The Miracles Club
Maria Loredo	Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
Marin Arreola	Interface Network
Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown	Crook County Health Department
Musse Olol	Somali American Council of Oregon
Nannette Carter-Jafri	SEIU Local 503 Indigenous People's Caucus
Ruth Gulyas	LeadingAge Oregon
Safina Koreishi	Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization
Sandra McDonough	Oregon Business & Industry
Shawn Baird	Metro West Ambulance Service
Sue Steward	Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Tsering Sherpa	The Rosewood Initiative
Zhenya Abbruzzese	Adventist Health

“The COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee brings tremendous lived and professional experience to guide OHA’s decisions about vaccine sequencing in a way that upholds OHA’s goal to eliminate health inequities by 2030,” said Cara Biddlecom, OHA deputy public health director.

“Members of this committee represent communities that have been unjustly impacted by COVID-19, including tribal communities and communities of color, and OHA is committed to involving community members in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.”

The committee’s first public meeting is Thursday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The meeting can be accessed via conference line at 669-254-5252; meeting ID: 160 583 9896.

For more information about the committee, visit the Vaccine Advisory Committee information page. Comments or questions can be emailed to covid.vaccineadvisory@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the US response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.