Oregon Governor Expands Vaccines To All On April 19th

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — All Oregon residents age 16 and up will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 19.

In announcing the news, Gov. Kate Brown said the state will pass the threshold of 2 million vaccines administered on Tuesday and is focused on vaccinating as many frontline workers and people with underlying conditions as possible in the next two weeks.

People of color, who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, make up a large percentage of those groups, said Brown, a Democrat.

Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians became newly eligible for shots Monday, including frontline workers, their family members and those age 16 and up with underlying conditions.

“We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants,” Brown said in a statement. “Today, Oregon will pass the threshold of 2 million vaccine doses administered. And yet, in communities across Oregon, COVID-19 is spreading at concerning rates. We must move as quickly as possible to get more shots in arms.”

Brown also said she is working with the White House to make sure Oregon receives a fair share of the federal vaccine supply after the director of the Oregon Health Authority expressed concerns that the state wasn’t receiving as many doses per capita as other states, such as Kansas and Wyoming.

We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the spread of variants.

Starting April 19, every Oregonian over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 6, 2021