Connect Your Workers to Vaccines with OHA Employer Toolkit

UPDATED: April 19, 2021

The Oregon Health Authority has released a comprehensive “employer toolkit” designed to help you communicate important information about vaccines to your workers, and to give them information about locations and appointments now that all Oregonians 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine.

For employers, there are a few immediate steps you can take to help your employees prepare for vaccinations – and, of course, get Oregon on track to full economic recovery.

• Encourage employees to register with the state so they receive notifications and know how to make appointments when they become available.
• Share all the vaccine information in the toolkit with employees, customers and your business network. Email, text and social media templates are available for you to use. This is important to address vaccine hesitancy and to make sure employees feel comfortable about getting a shot.
• The state needs more medical personnel to administer the vaccine. Please consider putting a call out to your employees to see if they are qualified medical providers. They can sign up here if they have the necessary experience.
• Some employers may be able to host onsite vaccination clinics for their employees and community members. We will keep you updated as information becomes available.

Many OBI members have asked how they will know if their employees classify as frontline workers. Here is OHA’s three-part definition:

• The employee has regular close contact with others outside of their household (less than six feet); and
• The employee has routine (more than 15 minutes per person(s)) close contact with others outside of their household; and
• They cannot perform their job duties from home or another setting that limits the close or routine contact with others outside of their household.

Also, the industry has to be defined by the CDC as essential.