Mpox vaccines are free, abundant and available to anyone

Update: May 23, 2023 – This blog has been updated to reflect the latest data for Jynneos vaccine effectiveness. Available in Spanish It’s been almost a year since Oregon reported its first case of mpox. That number has since risen to 279, including two pediatric cases (under age 18). But new cases have been trickling […]

COVID-19 VACCINE NEWS: Additional booster authorized for some people; original vaccine discontinued

Available in Spanish The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a second COVID-19 bivalent booster dose for people ages 65 and older and for some people with compromised immunity. Following discussion by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the CDC recommended the changes yesterday. The additional […]

State hospital patients nurture plants for Salem nursery

Available in Spanish The thumbs of Oregon State Hospital (OSH) patients are turning green. Through a long-standing partnership with 13th Street Nursery, OSH patients learn what it takes to seed, nurture and deliver plants for sale in the community. This week, OSH staff delivered about 400 young plant starts to the Salem nursery where gardeners […]

Puppies and patients, learning together

Available in Spanish Cuteness alert!! A group of 8-week-old Labrador retrievers visited the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) last week, romping and wiggling as only puppies can do. The visit was part of the hospital’s partnership with Joys of Living Assistance Dogs (JLAD). The Salem-based nonprofit trains and places service dogs in the community, and since […]

What’s next with COVID-19 vaccines or boosters?

Updated 4/4/2023 – This post was updated with a link to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for the current schedule of COVID-19 vaccinations. Available in Spanish A lot of people want to know the answer to this question. For example, will federal health officials authorize a second dose of the bivalent booster? […]

COVID-19 test requirement dropped for Paxlovid

It just got easier to get antiviral medication for COVID-19. Effective Feb. 1, people no longer have to test positive for COVID-19 in order to receive the oral antiviral medication Paxlovid. In removing the testing requirement, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledges the limited accuracy of COVID-19 tests, allowing health care providers to […]

Evusheld deauthorized for COVID-19 prevention

Available in Spanish The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that, until further notice, Evusheld is no longer authorized for emergency use because it is not expected to protect against the COVID-19 subvariants currently circulating in the United States. As a result, it cannot be used for new patients or for patients who have […]

Free guidance and education available for radon testing in Oregon’s multifamily housing buildings

Not too long ago, when a multifamily housing owner in Oregon wanted to test their building for radon levels, they were hard pressed to find easy-to-follow and affordable information on how to do it. It’s not required for private property owners, and most of the existing materials on the subject are overly technical and costly. […]

Bivalent COVID-19 boosters prevent severe disease, hospitalization

Available in Spanish The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released two reports showing the bivalent COVID-19 booster provides significant protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization, especially for people age 65 and older.  These new reports follow a recent study showing that symptomatic people who received the bivalent vaccine were less likely to test positive […]

New data show updated COVID-19 vaccines work well

Available in Spanish New research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the first real-world data showing how well the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines work. The updated mRNA shots were designed to target newer strains of the virus and provide better protection from a COVID-19 infection compared to the original (monovalent) […]