Oregon Accelerates Its Vaccination Timeline

March 31, 2021

Oregon's vaccine eligibility timeline is being moved up! On April 5, Group 7 will be eligible for vaccination. That includes frontline workers, people ages 16 to 44 with underlying conditions and people living in multigenerational homes. 

In more good news, the general population will still become eligible by May 1, but some counties may move that date up to April 26 if they confirm they are ready to move forward. Here are more highlights from Friday’s announcement:  

• OHA expects to have enough supplies to meet the new timeline.   
• Approximately eight out of 10 people who are eligible for the vaccine in Oregon have received at least one vaccination and 25% of all people in Oregon have gotten at least one shot. The national average is 26%.   
• Cases and hospitalizations continue to drop. OHA's rolling seven-day case average of new cases as of Friday was 315. That’s a decline of 73% since Jan. 1 and 52% since the beginning of February. Among U.S. states, Oregon is fourth lowest in cumulative daily cases per 100,000 people.  
• Oregon’s testing capacity exceeds the demand for testing. Since COVID-19 cases are decreasing, the need for testing has also decreased. And test positivity has decreased to a positivity rate of 2.2% as of March 14.    

To learn more, see the slides and the recording from Friday’s briefing.

Changes to Vaccine Tools 
As of this past Monday, March 29, the vaccine information tool (or chatbot) that has been helping people in the tri-county area (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington) schedule vaccination appointments at the Oregon Convention Center and other locations has been discontinued. Going forward, all vaccination registrations and notifications will be handled through the Get Vaccinated Oregon (GVO) tool, which also can be found at covidvaccine.oregon.gov. 

Additionally, the GVO tool no longer accepts landline phone numbers as a method of contact. Using these automated calls as a response for the GVO was confusing to landline users who have been warned by the Oregon Department of Justice to be careful of automated calls. Anyone who registered for the GVO with a landline will be contacted for support with vaccine access. Anyone whose preferred method of contact is a landline can continue to call 211 for support in accessing the vaccine (or toll free, 1-866-698-6155 or TTY dial 711 and 1-866-698-6155).   

Things to Know This Week: Vaccine Eligibility Expands to Group 6 
Having different types of vaccines can offer more options and flexibility for the public, jurisdictions, and vaccine providers. For example, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is easier to store and only requires one dose, which can make it useful for people who may have a difficult time returning for a second dose. 

Since supply is still limited, getting vaccinated with the first vaccine available to you will help to protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19. Here are two ways to get linked up to vaccine resources in your community:  

• How to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine is a web page that helps you to determine your eligibility, create a Get Vaccinated Oregon account, and locate a vaccine provider in your community.   
• 211 is a resource that you can use to uncover vaccine registration information if you are unable to use the Get Vaccinated Oregon tool.

Study Shows ‘These Vaccines Will Keep People Out of The Hospital’ 
The Washington Post wrote about an exciting study that Oregon participated in that shows the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines in real life circumstances. 

Dr. Paul Cieslak, a senior health advisor with OHA, says, “This study demonstrated that in real-world use, the mRNA vaccines are marvelously effective – 90% – in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as COVID-19 illness in frontline workers. These vaccines will keep people out of the hospital and also reduce spread of the virus. We’re grateful to the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research and other institutions for collecting these data, and delighted that the Oregonians who participated were among the most likely to get vaccinated.” 

You can read the study on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Are Your Sniffles Seasonal Allergies or COVID-19? 
Have you had the sniffles lately? It is allergy season, but you may be wondering how to tell if it’s allergies or COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a graphic that might help answer that question. Because some of the symptoms of COVID-19 and seasonal allergies are similar, it may be difficult to tell the difference between them, and you may need to get a test to confirm your diagnosis. 

If you think you have COVID-19, follow CDC’s guidance on ”What to do if you are sick.” If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately. 

More information on seasonal allergies and COVID-19 is available here.