Oregon to receive 147,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine in December, state says

The first batches of coronavirus vaccine are expected to ship to Oregon in just a few weeks, marking the first step in what will be a months-long effort to end the pandemic.

But with 4.2 million Oregonians potentially in line to be vaccinated, many remain uncertain about the state’s ability to oversee an unprecedented mass vaccination program that will run through 2021, if not longer.

Officials in Oregon said they expected at least 147,000 doses of the vaccine this month. This is more than initially expected and enough to deliver the first of two doses to at least 100,000 people, a state spokesperson said, with health workers on the front lines.

The plan hinges on the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of two vaccines for emergency use, which it is generally expected to do in the coming days.

“I know these are the vaccines we’ve all been waiting for,” Governor Kate Brown said at a press conference. Friday. “I ask you all to tie yourselves up a little longer.”

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Months of hardship will pass before most Oregonians can get vaccinated – the key to ending the pandemic, saving untold lives, fully opening stores and restaurants, and allowing friends and family to start meeting again. without guilt.

Indeed, Friday set a new record for daily coronavirus cases and deaths, surpassing 2,000 newly confirmed or suspected infections and 30 deaths. And the worst is almost certainly to come, with state health officials predicting 2,000 to 2,700 people will test positive for the virus every day by Christmas Eve.

Yet, after 10 months of uncertainty, the official announcement on Friday of expected shipment dates for concrete vaccine dose numbers offered some measure of optimism for a state that, like the rest of the world, has shrunk. tired.

Assuming the vaccine obtains federal approval, a 35,100-dose batch of a vaccine created by pharmaceutical company Pfizer will be shipped on December 15. Tests have shown that the vaccine has no serious side effects and prevents disease in 95% of people who get both. doses it needs to be effective, the company said.

40,950 additional doses of Pfizer vaccine will be shipped the following week, along with 71,900 doses of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Moderna. This company said its vaccine protects 94.5% of those who receive the two mandatory vaccines and is also safe.

The state expects an additional 87,750 doses of Pfizer vaccine and 31,700 doses of Moderna vaccine to be shipped on December 29. These lots will be used to deliver a second dose to those who have already received the first.

“This is, without a doubt, great news,” said Patrick Allen, director of the agency responsible for the state’s coronavirus response, Oregon Health Authority, also noting that the numbers are subject to change. .

The state drew up a vaccine distribution plan on November 6 that outlines how authorities intend to prioritize who has access first.

The initial limited doses will go to some 300,000 frontline healthcare workers in the state and 60,000 to 70,000 residents and employees of nursing homes for the aged.

Next on the priority list are likely to be essential workers, people with chronic illnesses, and people over 65.

One of the main challenges of vaccine distribution will be the extremely cold temperatures that one of them needs to remain viable. Pfizer vaccine should be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

The state said it would consider a “hub system,” where providers who can store the vaccine receive enough doses to then distribute them to providers who are not. The Oregon Health Authority plans to map where in the state providers can keep the vaccine at such low temperatures and decide which vaccine to send where based on the results.

Health equity is also central to Oregon’s immunization plan. The state is committed to working closely with community organizations to ensure the plan is developed in tandem with groups representing those disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Among other things, the groups will help find gaps in access and understand why some people might not trust government officials – two barriers to broad immunization.

The health authority will also form a vaccine advisory committee, which will include representatives of marginalized groups, to help decide how to allocate the vaccine.

Blacks in Oregon were infected at 3.5 times the rate of whites, according to state data, and Hispanics were infected at 5.1 times the rate of people who are not Hispanics.

“The Oregon Health Authority recognizes the impact that long-standing health inequalities, which are rooted in systemic racism and oppression, have on the transmission and prevalence of COVID-19 in Oregon,” wrote the health agency in its month-old draft plan, which has not been updated.

The agency also targeted people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although they do not inherently pose a greater risk of complications, people with such disabilities are more likely than the rest of the population to have underlying medical conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other groups at risk include prisoners, the homeless, migrant workers, students, and people without health insurance.

It could be months before even priority groups are vaccinated. About 700,000 doses will be needed to immunize all healthcare workers, staff and residents of senior care homes, Allen said. The batch to come in December will be enough to get only a fraction of the priority groups their first dose of vaccine.

Another complication is the time it takes for manufacturers to produce the vaccines, Allen said.

“It will be some time before the vaccine is available to regular Oregonians,” Allen said.

While President Trump pushed for a vaccine ahead of the Nov. 3 election, federal regulators have been methodical in ensuring safety before approving it for nearly 330 million Americans. The UK this week approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine, which America is expected to give the green light soon.

Researchers are currently testing 58 vaccines on humans, according to the New York Times, and at least 87 more are being tested on animals.

Brown and Allen touched on the controversial topic of vaccine safety, a hot topic in recent years, particularly in Oregon.

“When it’s my turn to get a vaccine,” Brown said, “I’ll be ready to take it.

Until the vaccines are available to the wider population, however, Allen and Brown urge Oregonians to stick to the proven methods they’ve been hammering out for months: staying home, avoiding gatherings, wearing a mask and wash your hands frequently.

Do you have any advice? Send me an email.

– Fedor Zarkhin

[email protected]

office: 503-294-7674 | cell: 971-373-2905 |@fedorzarkhin

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