News & Stories for Oregonians
To read this story in Spanish, click here. The most common reason people have not received a COVID-19 booster dose is concern about side effects, according to a recent survey of our readers. With eight reasons to choose from, 37% chose “I had side effects and I don’t want to go through that again.” Some […]
Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have released a new toolkit for schools to help address a rise in deaths related to fentanyl and other opioids in Oregon. The Fentanyl & Opioid Response Toolkit for Schools will help school staff communicate to parents, caregivers and students about the dangers of illegal […]
To read this story in Spanish, click here. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has authorized a single booster dose of the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11. The group’s decision Thursday evening follows recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) […]
The summer of 2020 broke records in terms of wildfires in Oregon. Flames destroyed approximately 4,000 homes and 1 million acres of land. Smoke entered homes and lungs in every corner of the state. Oregon lawmakers responded by funding air purifiers for people in communities where wildfires are common. The air purifiers make up a […]
To read this story in Spanish, click here. People wear masks for lots of reasons. When we asked newsletter readers to share their thoughts on masking, we received nearly 4,000 responses. Some expressed concern the mandate was lifted, and others were excited to remove their masks. One theme that emerged was that many people continue […]
To read this story in Spanish, click here. (This story was updated at 9:09 p.m. on May 5, 2022, to include an accurate hyperlink to “vaccination and booster rates” on OHA’s website.) Now that Oregon’s mask mandate has ended for most indoor public spaces, people may feel uncertain or uneasy about venturing out without masks. […]
In December 2020, the phone lines at the Clatsop County Public Health Department were jammed. Hundreds of questions came in every day from worried callers wanting to know about COVID-19 symptoms, isolation and testing. Other callers wanted to report businesses ignoring COVID-19 state mandates. Jane Dunkin, Clatsop County human resources assistant and volunteer coordinator, […]
A new app, launched by the Portland non-profit Torus, aims to help some English language learners, specifically refugees, find COVID-19 information in their native languages. The Torus App was developed by Afghanistan-born Ramin Tokhi, whose first language is Dari (a Persian dialect). In 2020 Tokhi founded Torus to provide “a sense of belonging to a […]
Updated 03/27/2023 Update, 3/27/2023 – The Color Health telehealth service to receive oral antiviral medication is now available to children ages 12 – 17, with parental or adult caregiver consent. Update, 2/3/2023 – On Feb. 2, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new guidelines stating that it is not necessary to test positive […]
Oregon’s My Electronic Vaccine Card gives you an electronic copy of COVID-19 vaccinations you’ve received in Oregon. It’s the same information on your paper vaccine card. By using this new and completely voluntary service, you can use your mobile device to show proof of vaccination in places such as businesses, airports, international borders or in medical […]
