Another COVID-19 wave is expected to hit Oregon this month. Here's where to get vaccines, boosters
Oregon is heading into another surge of coronavirus infections, with cases expected to begin increasing later this month and peak in early December.
Infections aren’t likely to reach the highs of the delta or omicron waves, Oregon Health Authority officials said Thursday morning.
But they will likely be mixed in with increased influenza cases and other respiratory viruses typically seen in children and older adults, Dean Sidelinger, Oregon health officer and state epidemiologist, said.
That will continue to strain hospitals that still are recovering from earlier waves of the pandemic.
COVID-19 numbers still falling
Daily reported COVID-19 case counts continue to fall in Oregon, health officials reported.
On Sept. 7, the rolling 7-day average was 580 cases. On Oct. 12, the average had fallen to 482. Test positivity also fell during that period, from 7.2% to 6.8%.
However, Sidelinger said, many people with COVID-19 don’t test or only take home tests, so infection levels certainly are higher than reported.
“While disease is coming down, there’s still a high level of COVID-19 transmission in Oregon,” he said. “Oregonians are still getting sick with the disease.”
On Oct. 6, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nine counties in eastern and southern Oregon were in the “medium risk” level for COVID-19 spread.
Omicron continues to be the dominant variant in Oregon, Sidelinger said.
Young children can get the new vaccine
Sidelinger urged Oregonians to get vaccinated and boosted ahead of the coming wave.
As of Thursday, children age 5-11 are also eligible for the new, updated bivalent MRNA booster. The new booster offers protection against the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants, as well as the original coronavirus.
“That means, as of today, all people aged 5 or older are recommended to receive a bivalent MRNA booster dose at least two months after finishing a primary series,” Sidelinger said.
More: FDA authorizes bivalent COVID-19 boosters for children ages 5 to 11
Health officials estimate there are about 343,000 children in Oregon who are now eligible for the vaccine.
Data from the state’s vaccine registry shows that 6.1% of eligible Oregonians have received the new booster, compared with 3.5% nationwide.
Vaccines are available at several locations in the area, including:
Independence: Mi Casita Market, 834 N. Main ST., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 and Oct. 29, noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 22. No appointment necessary; bivalent booster and all pediatric vaccines available.
Salem: Salem Center Mall (Located near Kohls and Ross), 401 Center St. NE #1170, 2-6 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 17; bivalent booster and all pediatric vaccines available; no registration required, walk-ins welcome.
Salem: Mega Foods, 3695 Devonshire Ave. NE; 2-6 p.m. Sundays through October; bivalent and all pediatric vaccines available; no registration required, walk-ins welcome.
Woodburn: Mega Foods, 1542 Mt. Hood Ave.; 2-6 p.m. Oct. 13, 14, 15, 22, 29; bivalent and all pediatric vaccines available; no registration required, walk-ins welcome.
Monkeypox spread slowing
OHA also is tracking cases of monkeypox in the state.
Recent data indicates that monkeypox spread is slowing, Sidelinger said. As of Wednesday, there were 230 presumptive and confirmed cases of monkeypox in Oregon.
The cases are in nine counties: 11 in Clackamas, two in Columbia, one in Coos, one in Hood River, 22 in Lane, eight in Marion, 157 in Multnomah, one in Union and 27 in Washington.
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Another COVID-19 wave expected to hit Oregon this month
