Why are COVID tests and vaccines still so hard to find?

Appointments for COVID-19 tests and vaccines are increasingly difficult to find in Portland amid the omicron variant’s arrival in Oregon and a long-anticipated surge in cases.

Health officials attribute delays to recent spikes in demand, holiday closures, extreme weather, health care worker shortages and lacking capacity after mass vaccination sites closed during the summer.

County and state officials and COVID-19 service providers acknowledged the often long waits for appointments while stressing the existing places Oregonians can get vaccinated or tested. Pharmacies – which are one of the main sites Oregonians get vaccinated and tested according to the Oregon Health Authority – have seen the most notable bottlenecks.

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