News & Stories for Oregonians
You may have heard that booster shots have been recommended for some people who received the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Booster shots are given when the protection from a vaccination begins to decrease. Getting a booster can help people continue their immunity for a longer period. Booster doses have not yet been recommended for people […]
Is a fear of needles preventing you or a loved one from getting a COVID-19 vaccine? You are not alone. Scientists estimate that as many as 25 percent of Americans suffer from trypanophobia, a fear of blood or needles. Fear of needles prevents millions of people from getting the care they need to live long, healthy lives. As many as 16 percent of people in the U.S. don’t get a yearly flu vaccination because they dread getting a […]
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has recommended the following groups of people who received the Pfizer vaccine should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months after their second dose: People 65 and older, People living in a long-term care facility, and People 50-64 with underlying medical conditions. People […]
Oregon is ready to make booster shots available to people who are eligible to receive one, if the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup approves a federal recommendation to make booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine available to seniors and people in high-risk categories.
On Wednesday, the Oregon Health Authority Senior Health Advisor Dr. Tom Jeanne and the Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill answered questions about COVID-19 in children and reminded us of the protections being taken in Oregon schools to ensure that students can safely continue in-person instruction. As Dr. Jeanne noted, “The Delta variant is an […]
Rain Jordan describes herself as a pragmatic and “safety-first” person, so it’s not surprising that she has continued to take COVID-19 precautions, including wearing a mask when appropriate, since getting vaccinated early in the summer. A former college professor, Rain shares that having auto-immune risk factors, previous adverse reactions to vaccines and some skepticism about […]
Across Oregon, college students are returning to campuses and finding that dating and relationships are different than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking precautions to protect oneself and others from acquiring or spreading COVID-19 continues to be an important part of our everyday lives. But, with the availability of vaccines and testing there is a natural desire to want to return to “normal,” to do the everyday activities we enjoy […]
Sharon Porter, a retired educator in La Grande, did not hesitate at all to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As a cancer patient, Sharon is grateful for the treatments that have kept her alive for many years. As Sharon explains, “I have been vaccinated for measles, smallpox, polio, shingles, flu, and all the other childhood diseases. I felt I had a load […]
Today, officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened medical experts to discuss whether to recommend that people who’ve previously been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should receive a booster shot to help maintain the effectiveness of their vaccinations over time. At today’s hearing, the committee recommended that people age 65 and […]
Today, the Oregon Health Authority’s Dr. Dean Sidelinger shared promising news about COVID-19 hospitalization and case rates, but also warned that we still need to work together to help Oregon defeat the pandemic. As Dr. Sidelinger reminds us, “Our ability to sustain this hopeful progress and ultimately regain the upper hand over the coming weeks, […]
