HERMISTON — A vaccine clinic run by state health officials and several Eastern Oregon groups will be held at the Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Hermiston on Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, according to the event’s organizer.

The vaccines will be provided and administered by health officials with the Oregon Health Authority and the local Bi-Mart Pharmacy. Also running the event are Hermiston community members with New Horizons, Agape House and the Hermiston Hispanic Advisory Committee.

“We’re making a superhuman effort to reach out,” said Jose Garcia, the founder of New Horizons and chair of the Hermiston Hispanic Advisory Committee who helped organize the clinic. “We’ll see how this event is going to turn out. We’re just hopeful it’s going to be a massive event.”

Oregon Rural Action, a grassroots organization that aims to promote social justice, diversity and the environment in rural Oregon communities, will also be assisting with the clinic, providing personal protective equipment, sanitation and information about COVID-19, Garcia said.

People who wish to receive the vaccine are not required to have health insurance, according to an advertisement provided by Garcia.

Though the clinic is open to anybody who wants a vaccine, Garcia and other community members have been reaching out via Spanish radio shows and advertisements to encourage Hispanic and Latino residents throughout Eastern Oregon to get vaccinated.

“We’re just just hopeful there’s a good turnout,” Garcia said. “Like we always talk about, these are hard-to-reach populations, and I know COVID-19 cases went up in Umatilla County. As we open the economy, we’re going to see more cases going up if we don’t get vaccinated.”