Portland to close mass vaccination site in June

A mass vaccination site in Portland, Ore., is set to close next month, amid signs that demand for vaccines is waning as supplies become more readily available.

The All4Oregon site at the Oregon Convention Center, which has been inoculating individuals since Jan. 20, plans to shutter operations on June 19, The Associated Press reported Monday.

The site was first established by the city’s four major hospitals.

It began accepting self-scheduling and walk-in appointments last week, but after recognizing a drop in volume, organizers determined that the demand for a mass vaccination site was decreasing because shots were becoming more accessible in other locations, according to the AP.

The site will stop administering first doses of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on May 27, and will only provide second doses in June, according to the wire service. The location only administers the Pfizer vaccine.

As of Friday, the site said it dispensed 465,000 shots, the AP reported.

Last week, CVS Health announced that its pharmacy locations across the U.S. would begin accepting walk-in COVID-19 appointments, joining Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart and Sam’s Club, as vaccine supplies get close to to passing demand.

The Biden administration is moving its focus to local doctors, as the vaccination effort enters a more difficult phase, where health officials are tasked with reaching more vaccine-hesitant individuals.