How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon
As of Feb. 15, everyone in Phase 1A and groups one, two and three of Phase 1B is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon. That includes:
- Health care workers and first responders
- Long-term care residents
- K-12 educators and school staff
- Childcare providers
- People 75 and older
Oregon introduced an online tool that allows eligible residents of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion and Columbia counties to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The eligibility tool is open to everyone in Oregon to use and ask questions.
Another helpful resource is 211. People can call 211 and ask to be transferred to the reservation call center. Operators will determine eligibility, then book a time to receive the vaccination. People can also text ORCOVID to 898211 to get text/SMS updates or email ORCOVID@211info.org.
Oregon's vaccination rollout on track despite severe weather problems, says state health director
Over the past week, severe weather delayed COVID-19 vaccine shipments across the country, including in Oregon, and a snow and ice storm in the Portland metro area caused cancellations at mass vaccination clinics.
On Friday, during a press briefing with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and other leaders, Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen said that Oregon's vaccination timelines remain on track despite the weather. "We don't expect these problems will have a long-term impact on our vaccination schedule," Allen said.
Oregon Health Authority blames CDC for residents in adult foster homes not being vaccinated
State health officials blame guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for why residents in more than 1,200 adult foster homes in Oregon have not been vaccinated.
Adult care facilities were supposed to get the vaccine through a federal program but according to the Oregon Department of Human Services, only 172 out of 1,400 facilities signed up. On Friday, OHA’s director Pat Allen said in a news conference, these homes don’t qualify for the federal program after all.
Beaverton high school students help seniors sign up for vaccination appointments
Lyla Paru and Macy Deckert, both juniors at Beaverton High School, have helped more than 35 seniors sign up for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, including Richard and Rosemary Salerno.
“They saved our lives, really,” Richard said. “The first shot is going to protect us a little bit. The second shot will nail it down. Yes, I would thank them, and we're actually going to take them to lunch … first time we felt safe in a year.”
Shipment delay of 67K vaccine doses for Oregon sends some clinic organizers scrambling
A weather-related shipment delay has kept 67,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from reaching all parts of Oregon this week, leaving vaccination clinic organizers racing to find backup supplies or rescheduling clinics to next week. In Corvallis, 700 people gathered at Reser Stadium Thursday for a mass vaccination event that almost did not happen.
Pfizer vaccine highly effective after 1 dose, Israeli study finds
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is 85% effective just 15-28 days after the first dose, according to a new study out of Israel, adding further debate over whether second doses should be delayed to vaccinate more people. The study found Pfizer's vaccine was 85% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 cases and 75% effective when asymptomatic cases were included too.
VERIFY: Yes, the 1st and 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are the same
We often hear about health care facilities and residents waiting to receive second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. But is there a difference between the first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines? Pfizer and Moderna both reported their vaccines are roughly 95% effective in preventing the virus, but a person needs two shots to get that level of protection. While you need two doses for it to be fully effective, both the first and second doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are the same.
