MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) has opened their two day mass vaccination event to any resident (16 and over) who resides in the 11 counties that span the CTUIR ceded territory.
The 11 counties include Benton, Walla Walla, Columbia and Garfield counties in Washington and Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Baker, and Malheur counties in Oregon. Residents of all 11 counties are eligible to participate.
The mass vaccination event is taking place today, Monday, April 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday, April 13 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. People can walk in for an appointment or register online at https://airtable.com/shrb74wCvIR6fnNJR – the link and a QR code can also be found on the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center Facebook page. For more information or to register by phone, people can call 541-240-8733.
“We have more than 1,700 first doses to provide but as of this morning only 600 appointments are filled,” said Lisa Guzman, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center CEO. “We are eager to support our surrounding counties and get more people in the door.”
The National Guard will be on hand to administer the vaccine along with staff from Yellowhawk. Appointments for second dose will be made via email after people receive their first dose this week. The second dose will be provided approximately 21 days later.
Yellowhawk will be scheduling another mass vaccination event in May to provide first doses to an additional 2,000 people. All residents in the 11 counties will be eligible for that event as well.
The ceded territory of the CTUIR encompasses the 6.4 million acres upon which the Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Cayuse people relinquished sole occupancy and use rights in the Treaty of 1855 with the United States. The CTUIR reserved other use and access rights for hunting, fishing, gathering, and traditional purposes throughout the ceded territory.
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center is the Public Health Authority for the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
