Oregon Expected to Receive 228,400 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses by Month’s End

Hospital workers go first.

Masked aboard a TriMet bus. (Alex Wittwer)

Oregon officials expect the state to receive its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer on Tuesday, Dec. 15. And by the end of the month, Oregon expects to receive 228,400 doses—assuming the Moderna vaccine is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, so at least some of the doses will be for a second round of vaccination.

The federal government has issued guidance for who should get priority in receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. It recommends the first doses go to hospital workers, both medical and nonmedical, as well as emergency medical services workers who "regularly evaluate, treat, and transport potential COVID-19 patients," and nursing homes, both residents and staff.

That data was released by the Oregon Health Authority on Dec. 10.

"We estimate that approximately 100,000 Oregonians will receive their first vaccine doses by the end of the year," said Gov. Kate Brown in a Dec. 11 statement. "With 300,000 health care workers in the state, the first doses will be prioritized for staff who work at hospitals and other in-patient facilities and have direct patient contact, especially with COVID-19 patients. That will include people in vital roles, like housekeeping and food services.

"We'll then expand to outpatient and other settings," she continued, "including behavioral health programs and facilities that meet the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

Her remarks and state figures come as federal officials project the entire country will have enough vaccines for everyone who wants them in the second quarter of 2021.

Brown sounded a more cautious note.

"In Oregon, we will need to vaccinate more than 10,000 people per day to immunize 3 million Oregonians, or about three-quarters of our state," she said. "That's the scale we need to achieve communitywide immunity. It's a tall order and we can't do it without federal resources to deliver the doses and support our distribution and outreach efforts."

Here's the presentation officials gave at a briefing for reporters.

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