Second updated COVID-19 vaccine recommended for Oregonians 65 and older

Oregon health officials are urging people who are 65 or older to get a second dose of the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine.

A federal announcement issued last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized second doses of the vaccine for older adults and recommended those 65 and older get their second shot if at least four months have passed since the first.

Older adults face an increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) acknowledged in their announcement.

More than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations nationwide during October to December 2023 occurred in adults 65 and older, according to the CDC.

Oregon COVID-19-related deaths rose in September through mid-January with around 20 deaths per week but have since decreased to less than 10 per week, according to state data.

Getting an additional dose of the vaccine can help restore some of the protection that has decreased since getting a dose in the fall.

“Vaccine-induced immunity can wane over time, but a second dose restores that protection, which can help keep people in this particularly vulnerable group from being hospitalized or even dying,” said Paul Cieslak, OHA medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations.

Second doses of the vaccine also are available for those 6 months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

OHA recommended calling health insurers to confirm coverage. Those who do not have insurance or coverage can search for COVID-19 vaccines at Vaccines.gov, and narrow their search to locations that participate in the Bridge Access Program to receive no-cost COVID-19 vaccines for adults without insurance.

Oregon health officials also recommend anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should stay home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours and other symptoms are improving.

Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her atSWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter@sydney_elise44

The Statesman Journal’s coverage of health care inequities is funded in part by theM.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.