PENDLETON — Umatilla County is beginning to lay the groundwork at its health department for the capacity to administer COVID-19 vaccines when they become available.

The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners approved expanding a nursing position at the health department to full time and the purchase of canopies that could be used for both drive-thru testing and vaccination events at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

“Drive-thru testing for COVID has become somewhat mainstream,” said Umatilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara. “As we are hoping for a vaccine to be coming out relatively soon, we’re trying to get ourselves in place and prepared for that to happen.”

In total, the county approved the purchase of three canopies for $20,660.10 and the expansion of the nursing position will cost $62,562. However, $46,000 in outside funding is being provided for health departments to address immunization clinics and other grant funding is available because a portion of the expanded nursing position will focus on the health department’s maternal child health programs.

Both moves made Sept. 16 can initially be used to bolster vaccination programs the health department already runs for the flu, Fiumara noted, and canopies may be especially necessary for trying to administer large-scale vaccination events during inclement weather this winter.

The county also approved the purchase of software that the health department’s new epidemiologist will use upon joining the staff on Oct 1.

“This software helps with a lot of data calculation and statistical analysis,” Fiumara said. “We want this in place so they’re able to take our data and do some adequate analysis with it.”

An epidemiologist specializes in studying and investigating the causes and patterns of diseases and injuries. The county approved hiring its first-ever epidemiologist in August. The new hire will become the only one employed in public health in Eastern Oregon next month.