Oregon to pause quarantining March 12 as cases and hospitalizations drop

Starting March 12, 2022, contact tracing and quarantine will be paused for the general population in Oregon, including in K-12 and childcare settings. These measures will still be recommended in high-risk settings, including health care settings, jails and prisons, and shelters. “Given how quickly transmission occurs and the number of people who have no — […]

Studies show, even after COVID-19 infection, vaccines are still the best protection

If you have had COVID-19, you may wonder if you need to get a COVID-19 vaccine. People infected with COVID-19 produce antibodies that offer protection (“natural immunity”) from future exposures. However, not everyone builds the same immune response, and research is not yet clear on how strong, or for how long, protection from natural immunity lasts. What is clear is that immunity wanes over time, and vaccinations after infection offer improved protection. 

Natural or vaccine immunity: Which is more protective?

Because some people with COVID-19 can have very mild symptoms, some may see natural infection as preferable to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The fact is that natural immunity or protection from COVID-19 is not preferable to getting vaccinated. While it’s true that having COVID-19 may create some protection, known as natural immunity, to COVID-19, at […]

Vaccine Voices: Definitely worth a few days of feeling under the weather

Dr. Jessica Hart, a psychologist resident at Northwest Forensic Institute, got both of her vaccines at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. She shared her vaccination experience with us: When asked why getting the vaccine was important to her, Dr. Hart told us, “to protect myself, my family, my coworkers, and the individuals we evaluate through work.” […]

Getting the vaccine is safer than having COVID-19

COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And if you do get sick, you could spread the disease to people you care about. Natural protection, also known as immunity, may come from getting COVID-19, but evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes […]