APRIL 2, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11
Oregon ramps
up vaccination
schedule
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
COVID-19 vaccinations are now open
to Oregon residents 45 and older with
one or more health conditions that carry
greater risk for severe infection.
Qualifying underlying conditions
include: cancer, chronic kidney disease,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
Down syndrome, heart conditions, an
immunocompromised state, obesity
pregnancy, sickle cell disease and Type 2
diabetes.
The state’s ramped up vaccination
schedule expanded eligibility to migrant
and seasonal farm workers, seafood and
agriculture workers, food processing
workers, those in low-income senior hous-
ing, senior congregate housing, senior
independent living, sheltered and unshel-
tered people experiencing houselessness,
those displaced by wildfi res, wildland fi re-
fi ghters and pregnant people 16 and older
on Monday, March 29.
On Monday, April 5, vaccination eligi-
bility will open to:
• All frontline workers as defi ned by
the Centers for Disease control. A full
listing of eligible frontline workers can be
found at tinyurl.com/ORfrontline
• Individuals living in multigenera-
tional households.
• Those ages 16-44 with one or more
underlying health conditions.
Oregon is aiming to open vaccination
to all residents 16 and older by May 1.
Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vac-
cine, more than 1.1 million Oregonians
have received at least one dose. About
half of that number have received full
vaccination.
A study released March 29 showed
that vaccines produced by Moderna and
Pfi zer-BioNTech were eff ective in pre-
venting COVID-19 outside the bound-
aries of the earliest tests. The study
followed nearly 4,000 health care work-
ers, fi rst responders, and other essential
workers in eight U.S. locations.
There were 161 COVID infections in
the unvaccinated workers and 16 in work-
ers who had received one dose by the
time of their infection. Two weeks after
receiving both vaccine doses, the number
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Vaccinations are prepared for injection at Avamere Court earlier this year. As of March 29,
adults 45 and older with underlying conditions are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
FILE PHOTO, Keizertimes
of infections had been reduced to three.
In addition to the Pfi zer-BioNTech
and Moderna vaccines, a single dose
shot developed by Johnson & Johnson
is being used throughout the nation. The
Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires
only one injection. It has been shown to
signifi cantly prevent severe COVID-19
infections as well as hospitalizations and
deaths. Public health experts recommend
taking advantage of whatever vaccine
comes available fi rst.