COVID-19 boosters for teens available in Oregon soon

Alia Beard Rau, Salem Statesman Journal
·1 min read

The Oregon Health Authority said COVID-19 boosters for individuals 12 and older are expected to be available in Oregon as early as next week. Federal officials recently authorized boosters for this age group.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent boosters may be used. Moderna is available for adults age 18 and older. The Pfizer booster can be given to individuals at least 12 years old.

The bivalent boosters are designed to prevent severe illness from a broader range of viral strains, including the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

“With fall and winter approaching with circulation of COVID-19 anticipated to increase, when most of us will spend more time indoors, the availability of safe and effective vaccine boosters offers us strong protection against the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including severe illness, hospitalizations and death,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, health officer and state epidemiologist at Oregon Health Authority, said in a news release.

The boosters can be administered two months after the initial two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna or the one dose of Johnson and Johnson, or two months after a monovalent booster of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

OHA will open additional high-volume vaccination sites and expand hours at existing sites. Find additional information at covidblog.oregon.gov/ The updated boosters, like all COVID-19 vaccines, are free.

Here are some of the current vaccine locations in the Salem area:

  • Salem Center Mall (Located near Kohls and Ross), 401 Center St. NE #1170, open 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; all pediatric vaccines available; no registration required, walk-ins welcome.

  • Salem Mega Foods, 3695 Devonshire Ave. NE; closed on Labor Day; open 2-6 p.m. Sundays and Mondays; all pediatric vaccines available; no registration required, walk-ins welcome.

Alia Rau is the senior news editor at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, ideas and tips to her at ARau@salem.gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: COVID-19 boosters for teens available in Oregon soon