Kids back in school? Make an appointment for routine vaccinations

Most kids in Oregon are either back in school already or will be soon. This is a great time to make sure your child is up-to-date on their routine immunizations.  In Oregon, children are required to receive certain childhood vaccines in order to attend school. Talk with your child’s health care provider about what vaccines your child needs to stay healthy this […]

Vaccine Voices: Nancy Vera

Nancy is originally from Mexico, but has lived in United States most of her life. After spending about a year in Oregon working as a nurse in a McMinnville assisted living facility, she moved to Illinois with her husband where she continues to help seniors with their daily care. Due to her line of work, […]

CDC warns against the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19

On Thursday, Aug. 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a Health Alert Network advisory warning that people should not use Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. While Ivermectin is FDA-approved to treat certain infections caused by parasites, it has not been proven to prevent or treat COVID-19. You can learn about the […]

FDA approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine, which will be marketed as “Comirnaty.” Under the newly granted FDA approval, Comirnaty will be available to all people ages 16 and older to prevent COVID-19 disease. Under Emergency Use Authorization, the vaccine will continue to be available […]

CDC strengthens COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant people

Following the release of new data about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has strengthened its vaccine recommendation for pregnant people. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people ages 12 and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or […]

FDA, CDC and Western States recommend additional vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup have all recommended an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be administered to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems. On Aug. 12, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adjusted the existing […]

New data provide further evidence of vaccine effectiveness

Today, OHA’s Medical Director of Respiratory Viral Pathogens Dr. Melissa Sutton spoke with medical officials from across the state to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in Oregon. Here’s what you need to know. New CDC data displays further proof of vaccine effectiveness Dr. Sutton highlighted information from the Centers for Disease Control and […]

Take the time to catch up on vaccination during National Immunization Awareness Month

Your family may have held off on scheduling well-child visits and recommended vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s understandable you might have felt hesitant to take your child in for an appointment. We want you to know that health care providers are taking necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.   As your children head back to […]

Make a plan to vaccinate your student in time for school

If you are preparing to send your child back to the classroom this fall, you may have questions about vaccinating them against COVID-19. It’s OK to have questions. Reliable sources of information include the CDC, the FDA and OHA’s website. For personal questions, your health care provider is your best source for you and your family. They have firsthand knowledge of the vaccine, how it works and what […]

Governor Brown recommends mask mandate for K–12 schools

Aug. 6, 2021 update: The K–12 face covering rule has been posted here. Earlier this week, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released a new set of recommendations to encourage all people in Oregon — regardless of vaccination status — to wear a mask in indoor, public places. The recommendation came in response to the Centers […]