Gov. Oregon’s Kate Brown is once again accelerating the state’s schedule for COVID-19 vaccines.
In a press release on Tuesday, Brown announced that all Oregonians aged 16 and over will become eligible for vaccines starting April 19, almost two weeks earlier than the date previously announced by state officials.
Today, Oregon will cross the threshold of 2 million doses of vaccine. And yet, in Oregon communities, COVID-19 is spreading at relevant rates, ”Brown said in a statement. “We have to move as fast as possible to get more blows in the arms.”
The announcement comes as Oregon has repeatedly accelerated its timing for vaccine eligibility in recent days. On Monday, front-line workers had access to gunfire, along with adults living with them.
“Over the next two weeks, we will dedicate all available resources to ensuring that Oregon workers and people with basic conditions have access to vaccines – two groups in which Oregonians in communities of color are predominantly represented,” Brown said. “My office will work closely with the White House to ensure that Oregon receives our fair share of federal vaccine supplies so that we can continue with a rapid, fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine.”
Oregon’s adjustment to the vaccination schedule reflects an expected acceleration at the national level. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that President Joe Biden will announce that all American adults over the age of 16 nationally will be eligible for vaccines beginning April 19.
Along with other states, Oregon has seen an increase in new infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks, raising concerns about a “fourth wave” of the pandemic. The figures are still well below a peak that the state experienced at the end of 2020.