With the New Year here, Oregon health officials are asking people to resolve in 2024 to get vaccinated against respiratory viruses that are on the rise in the state.
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, health officer and state epidemiologist for the Oregon Health Authority, says vaccination remains the best way for Oregonians to protect themselves against COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -- and it's not too late to get any of the vaccines.
The renewed push for vaccinations comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published the latest version of a report on Fall 2023 respiratory virus vaccination coverage among adults. The report includes national and jurisdiction-specific estimates for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination coverage among adults 18 and older from the National Immunization Survey-Adult COVID Module. CDC forecasting predicts a steady increase of hospitalizations.
According to the report, 25% of eligible Oregon adults have received the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine, 40.8% have received the influenza vaccine, and 20.3% have received the RSV vaccine. Oregon ranks 9th in the nation for COVID-19 vaccine coverage, 35th for flu vaccine coverage and 16th for RSV vaccine coverage.
Dr. Sidelinger said supply is not a problem for most of the vaccines. COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are readily available in Oregon as are the new RSV vaccines for older adults and pregnant women. The RSV antibody immunization for children is still in limited supply across the country and in Oregon.
It can take a couple of weeks for the body to ramp up its immune system following vaccination, but Sidelinger said antibody levels start rising within days of getting a shot and will offer some protection. He said people can think of getting vaccinated as a New Year's resolution.
