News & Stories for Oregonians
It’s the season for long, dark days. In Oregon, those days are longer and darker than many places in the United States. Today, Dec. 21, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Across Oregon, on average, we will enjoy just under nine hours of daylight today. That’s about seven hours less […]
Available in Spanish Oregon law provides legal protection to anyone helping someone experiencing a drug overdose. If you call 911 or seek medical care when you witness someone overdosing, the law says you and the patient cannot be arrested or prosecuted for: Oregon law also provides legal protections for administering the opioid overdose reversal medication […]
Over the past four years, we’ve heard how cleaning and disinfecting is a good precaution to lower the risk of spreading viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. But if not used properly, chemicals found in cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products can harm our health. Children are particularly vulnerable because they’re more sensitive to harmful chemicals. […]
Updated Nov. 25, 2024, to reflect adjusted details for the Senior Loneliness Line of Oregon. Available in Spanish This article contains notes from Oregon Health News readers who responded to our survey about how they cope with loneliness. OHA warmly thanks everyone who generously wrote in. We’ve included many of your thoughtful responses throughout this […]
Available in Spanish When someone struggling with drug use reaches out for help, there’s a chance they’ll never get that help if they are unhoused. Often there are waiting lists for residential treatment services, and by the time a space opens up, the person may have changed their mind, disappeared with no contact information, or […]
Updated Dec. 7 – this article was edited to clarify details of RSV vaccine coverage. Available in Spanish OHA is aware of some people being unexpectedly charged for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. There are a few reasons why this might happen, and we always recommend checking with your insurer if you have […]
Available in Spanish Updated March 5, 2024 – On February 28, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people ages 65+ receive an additional dose of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine at least four months after receiving their first dose of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine. The next round of COVID-19 vaccines is here, and […]
In one Portland neighborhood, new hope is dawning for hundreds of people seeking treatment for addiction. Recovery Works Northwest recently cut the ribbon on the state’s first alcohol and drug withdrawal (detox) management facility made possible with Measure 110 funding. The 16-bed facility in Southeast Portland will be the first of its kind to serve […]
Updated 3/20/2024: This article was updated with information about how to administer naloxone, in Question 2. Available in Spanish The life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone is now available to the public without a prescription. It is available under its brand name Narcan, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for over-the-counter distribution […]
Available in Spanish A few weeks ago we reported that Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 had become the predominant COVID-19 variant across Oregon and the United States, making up 14.8% of all cases nationally at that time. As of last week, another subvariant—Omicron EG.5—has taken over as the country’s predominant strain, accounting for 17.3% of COVID-19 cases […]
