Syringes of the Pfizer vaccine during a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Oregon State Fairgrounds on Thursday, Jan. 28. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Oregon is scheduled to receive 34,000 doses of a third, recently approved Covid vaccine this week, bolstering the state’s supply after seniors 65 and older became eligible for a shot Monday.
Each county in Oregon will receive at least 100 doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine this week, Oregon Health Authority spokesman Tim Heider said.
Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines currently approved for emergency use, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one shot to be effective, simplifying the logistics of inoculating people against Covid. Participants in the vaccine trial also reported fewer instances of allergic reactions, which has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend the Johnson & Johnson shot for people who reacted poorly to a first dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
Heider said 4,800 doses in this week’s shipment will be used to vaccinate people living in adult foster homes and other seniors who can’t leave the home. Some doses will also go to Walmart and Bi-Mart pharmacies, and to other health systems, but the state doesn’t yet have a breakdown.
“The supply is expected to grow significantly within the next few weeks,” Heider said in an email.
-Rachel Alexander
