Miina McCown/The Broadside

COVID-19 vaccinations are now readily available in Oregon for those 16 years of age or older. And the even better news is that Oregon State University Cascades and Central Oregon Community College Bend campus is now hosting completely free Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinics for those 16 years of age and up. 

COCC and OSU-C students are welcome at both campuses, so the locations and varying times for each can be selected for convenience. Students can also bring along friends or family members 16 and above for free vaccinations with no health insurance required.

Clinic times will be consisting of Tuesday, May 18, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the first dose and Tuesday, June 8, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the second dose at the COCC bend campus as well as Monday, May 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the first dose and Monday, June 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the second dose at the OSU-C campus. It is noted that first and second doses must be received at the same location. 

There will also be Spanish speaking volunteers on hand each day the entire time, and free food and giveaways at second-dose times will be available at COCC’s Bend campus clinics.

The Broadside spoke with Jennifer Kovitz, Marketing and Public Relations director at COCC, who stated that COCC’s partnership with Deschutes County, as well as with Crook and Jefferson Counties have been longstanding and predates the pandemic by decades. COCC has partnered with the counties on many high-importance resources, such as public health initiatives and emergency response during wildfires.

“Because the college is located in these counties, our partnership with them is essential and foundational. COCC had offered to host a vaccination clinic as soon as the COVID-19 vaccines were available, and Deschutes County reached out once they were winding down efforts at their mass vaccination clinic in Redmond,” said Kovitz.

So, besides the Bend campus, are any of the other COCC campuses planning on doing something similar in the future?

Since the mass vaccination clinics in Madras are more centrally located and accessible than Bend’s accessibility, COCC may explore offering more remote clinics with Jefferson County, stated Kovitz. Especially since Prineville mass vaccination clinic is right next to COCC’s campus there, it is in COCC’s hopes to explore more remote clinic partnerships, she adds. 

COCC even hopes to offer a vaccination clinic at Wickiup Residence Hall on move-in day. So all students need to do at the moment is to stay tuned.

For those planning to visit either of the vaccination clinics, appointments are strongly encouraged. For more information on the clinics and to create appointments for dates and times, students can visit this site.