SUTHERLIN, Ore. -- Aviva Health is focusing their attention on getting COVID-19 vaccines to people in smaller Douglas County communities in hopes of reaching those who wouldn't have access otherwise.

A mass vaccination clinic was held at the Sutherlin Community Center Tuesday. This was Aviva Health's second mass vaccination clinic outside of Roseburg.

In the past few months, Aviva Health has been at the forefront of vaccination efforts in Douglas County. They organized the first  mass vaccination clinic at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, where they vaccinated at least 700 people.

However, marketing and development director Mark Tsuchiya said they know not everyone has the ability to travel to Roseburg or other larger cities just to get the vaccine.

“We have pockets in Douglas County where it’s kind of a health care desert,” said Tsuchiya. “There’s no means for people to get vaccinated in those areas.”

On top of Aviva Health’s efforts to bring the vaccine into smaller communities, Tsuchiya said Douglas Public Health Network has formed their own task force to cover the more rural and remote areas of Douglas County.

“(They) started what’s called the ‘tiger team’ to go into areas that are truly locked away geographically and provide them with the vaccine,” he said.

Tsuchiya said Aviva Health has three smaller scale vaccine events planned in the near future. They will be at the Myrtle Creek Elks Lodge  on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Also, they will be at the Sutherlin Community Center again on Thursday during the same time frames. A third event is planned in Glide for sometime next week, but additional details are not yet available.