Oregon receives scheduled supply of 35,100 COVID-19 vaccine doses for current week

Salem, OR – Oregon has received its full scheduled supply of 35,100 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses for the week of December 13–December 19, 2020.

A total of 685 health care workers received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of Thursday December 17, 2020. Of that total, 433 health care workers were vaccinated yesterday.

OHA Director Patrick Allen said, “The sprint to the starting line is over. Now the hard work begins to vaccinate the critical mass of adult Oregonians needed to end this pandemic. Thanks to all the front-line health care workers who literally rolled-up their sleeves to take their first doses of this safe and effective vaccine. By taking this vaccine, they’re not only getting the protection they need and deserve to care for patients, they’re also showing the rest of us that the vaccine is safe to take and it works to stop the virus.”

According to the Oregon Health Authority’s vaccine database, 16 hospitals across Oregon received a total of 19,500 vaccine doses this week:

Another 10,725 vaccine doses have been reported to OHA as having been sent by the federal government to Walgreens and CVS pharmacies for vaccinations at Skilled Nursing Facilities, beginning next week. These doses are part of Oregon’s 35,100 federal allocation for the week.

More Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine deliveries are scheduled the weeks of Dec. 20 and Dec. 27, when allocations of 25,350 and 48,750, respectively, are expected to arrive in Oregon.

As OHA reported earlier this week, the allocation of 25,350 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech now scheduled to arrive in Oregon the week of Dec. 20 is a reduction from the original amount of 40,950 Oregon was previously scheduled to have allocated during that week. Federal officials notified the state about the change on Wednesday.

Oregon also expects to receive Moderna COVID-19 vaccines next week, but the Moderna vaccine has not yet received emergency use authorization from the federal government. If the vaccine is authorized, Oregon expects to be allocated 72,100 doses next week and 31,700 the following week. These doses would be distributed to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

Like every other state, Oregon receives a per capita allocation of vaccine doses from the federal government. While vaccine doses are distributed to states by the federal government each week based on a standard formula (i.e., states do not apply for vaccines nor can states request additional quantities), the actual number of doses states receive may change depending on many factors, including federal decisions or changes in manufacturer’s supplies.

Oregon issued its guidelines for prioritizing health care workers earlier this week. Oregon has defined health care workers who are eligible for the first phase of vaccine distribution as any worker in a health care setting who comes into contact with patients and could be exposed to the virus.

Oregon’s definition of health care workers includes, but isn’t limited to: Emergency medical service personnel, nurses, nursing assistants, home healthcare personnel, physicians, technicians, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees. It also means staff in clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, engineering and facilities management, billing, volunteer services and other roles.