On Friday, October 29th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first Covid-19 vaccine authorization in the United States for younger children when it issued emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11.
Vaccine advisers from the FDA voted 17-0 to recommend emergency use authorization for the vaccine, which is formulated at one-third the dose of the vaccine used for people 12 and older. Pfizer says a clinical trial showed its vaccine provides more than 90% protection against symptomatic disease among children, and the company hopes the lower dose will reduce the risk of any side effects.
On Tuesday, October 26th, Governor Kate Brown today issued a statement after receiving her COVID-19 booster shot and flu vaccine. “I am extremely grateful for the protection the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has given me.” she said. “All three of the vaccines are safe, and incredibly effective at protecting against hospitalization and death. And now, I am grateful to have received extra protection against both COVID-19 and the flu with the Moderna booster shot and the flu shot.”
“Vaccinations are our way out of this pandemic… and many Oregonians are now eligible for a booster…” she continued. “I encourage you to have conversations with your health care provider, to learn more about the extra protection a booster can offer you.”
Vaccination rates across the state continue to lag with an increase of just .5% in the past week. In the past week the state sat at 76.7% vaccinated, and to date, now sits at 77.2%. Oregon Health Authority and the Center for Disease Control assured individuals that the fully vaccinated are well protected from COVID, including the delta variant, which has increased to 9,334 individuals, including approximately 516 combined individuals in region 3, consisting of the 4 counties of Curry, Coos, Douglas and Lane.
Oregon Health Authority data show breakthrough case records began being kept some fourteen weeks ago. In that same fourteen week period, approximately 150,842 Oregonians tested positive for COVID-19. However, in that same fourteen week period, there have been 35,424 vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon alone, adding 2,470 breakthrough cases alone in the past week, and now totaling 23% off all new cases in the state.
Vaccine breakthrough cases are defined as instances in which an individual received a positive COVID-19 test result at least 14 days following the completion of any COVID-19 vaccine series.
As of Friday, October 29th, the state of Oregon had tested 7,536,833 individuals, an increase of 132,220 individuals and now over 3,247,393 more people than the states 4,289,440 population. 7,037,436 have tested negative for the novel COVID-19 virus 499,397 have tested positive, and there are 365,053 total cases in the state.
Individuals hospitalized rose by 622 hospitalizations statewide in the past week, and now stands at 19,380 in the entire state since the pandemic began. In the past week 176 deaths were recorded statewide, and Oregonians who have unfortunately succumbed to COVID-19 has now reached 4,337 individuals throughout the entire state since the pandemic began.
Curry County’s latest numbers as reported Friday, October 29th, by the Oregon Health Authority, now reports testing 23,592 individuals with 21,723 negative tests, 1,869 total positive COVID-19 tests, and the latest data from the Oregon Health Authority has recorded 1,834 total cases and 25 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services reported adding 34 new cases in the past week now reaching 3,725 total confirmed cases reported by Public Health, with 41 active cases, 1 current hospitalizations and 40 deaths.
Coos County to the north, reported testing 85,658 individuals last week with 79,919 negative results, adding 128 new cases in the past week with now 5,165 total positive cases and 96 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Josephine County has seen significant increases in recent weeks and has reported testing 143,663 individuals with 130,596 negative results, 13,0671 total positive test results with 9,531 total cases of COVID-19 and now 198 deaths.
Jackson County, which includes the Medford area, with a total population of 221,290, reports testing 385,485 individuals, 170,634 more people than the counties total population, with 357,756 negative test results, 34,178 positive results, and 23,433 total cases of COVID-19 with now 320 deaths as of Friday, October 29th.
