OHA: Vaccines for general public not till September

OHA: Vaccines for general public not till September

5" all year... covid-19 vaccines were hailed as the light at the end of the tunnel.

But now that it's here --- the general public in oregon may have to wait another eight months to get the shot.

Thank you for joining us im matt templeman -- renee has the night off.

That was the stunning news from the oregon health authority today.

Kezi 9 news reporter jillian smukler joins us live to break it all down.

Jillian matt -- if you're not an "essential worker...defined as someone whose job puts them at risk you've got a long time to wait for your shot.

And the anger on the street is getting worse...as not even 2 percent of the state's residents have been vaccinated so far.

And here's the latest twist.

Teachers will be the next group to get the shot... in front of older people who aren't in nursing homes.

So how did the state come up with that decision?

On thursday -- oregon's covid-19 vaccine advisory committee met for the*first time to discuss how critical workers and at-risk populations will be priorized in the rollout.

Health officials say after everyone in the phase 1a group is vaccinated.

Educators and other staff at pre- kindergarden to grade-12 schools and early learning centers will be the state's next immediate priority.

But when governor brown was asked why the state isn't following the cdc's recommendation that those who are over 75 and have major health conditions go before*teachers -- she says getting children back in the classroom is her*priority.

Look this is really challenging we have seniors in congregate care facilities particularly in skilled nursing care and in memory uh units that are getting vaccinated as we speak.

Um in terms of seniors that are living independently i encourage them to continue taking precautions brown says educators and staff at community colleges and universities are in phase 1-b.

In terms of her rationale behind prioritizing early and high school educators over higher education -- she says the impacts distance learning has had on young children -- where the vast majority of brain development happens in the first five years -- has been detrimental.

That's why she