And I think it's gonna be a long, long time

Getting an appointment for a Covid shot in Oregon has been a complete mess from the get-go. The process continues to feature one misstep after another. This week the scheduling folks went ahead and booked 11,000 people who weren't eligible yet. At least they had the common sense to honor those appointments.

Meanwhile, the eligibility rules now vary by county. The closer you are to downtown Portland, it seems, the longer you have to wait. 

Yesterday they announced a new schedule. They keep moving up the timelines, which is good. Statewide, the following people are good to go by these dates:

This coming Monday: Phase 1B, Group 6 

• Adults 45-64 with underlying health conditions
• Migrant and seasonal farm workers
• Seafood and agricultural workers
• Food processing workers
• People living in low-income senior housing, senior congregate and independent living
• People experiencing homelessness
• People currently displaced by wildfires
• Wildland firefighters
• Pregnant people 16 and older

The following Monday, April 5: Phase 1B, Group 7

• Frontline workers as defined by the CDC
• Multigenerational household members
• Adults 16 and older with underlying health conditions

In 22 counties, people in Group 6 could already get scheduled this week. The closest of these to Portland are Marion and Yamhill Counties. And so you may be able to get your dose of The Precious quicker if you're willing to drive an hour each way (twice).

It will be a great relief when there's so much vaccine sloshing around, and so many people done, that everybody can get their pokes. But the bad feelings generated by the questionable priorities and incompetent scheduling won't abate for a long time.