COVID-19 Vaccine Access Limited in Oregon

Overview:

COVID vaccines are currently limited to vulnerable groups. Yet Central Oregon healthcare workers -despite their frontline status- are among those who don't qualify for a prescription.

Since 2021, the COVID vaccine has been available to healthcare providers. However, federal changes to the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine program have introduced strict eligibility requirements and reduced availability, raising concerns among those who currently don’t qualify for the vaccine. In the coming days, state and local officials hope to gain more information about how federal policy aligns with Oregon’s health policy goals.

“Without easy access to the COVID vaccine, I feel like one of the most effective tools to protect myself — and my patients — has been taken away from me,” says one local nurse, whose name is being withheld for privacy.

Currently, vulnerable groups have two options for getting the updated COVID vaccine: obtain a prescription from their doctor to take to a pharmacy or visit their healthcare provider’s office directly for vaccination — if doses are available.

Healthcare workers excluded despite frontline exposure

In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the updated COVID vaccine with a prescription for three specific groups: adults 65 and older, individuals who have never received a COVID vaccine and those at high risk for severe COVID outcomes. High-risk categories include pregnancy, diabetes, obesity, cancer, disabilities and mental health conditions, among others.

Health care workers, despite their frontline status and ongoing exposure, were not included.

To deal with exposure, St. Charles Health System analyzes its own test results to figure out when virus spread is likely and decides when staff need to wear masks while caring for patients. These masking policies are determined by local viral transmission rates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. The COVID masking policy first began in the spring of 2020 and has undergone changes that reflect local virus levels.

Currently, COVID-19 test positivity in Deschutes County has exceeded 12.5% for two consecutive weeks, triggering masking requirements for St. Charles caregivers during patient care, reports Alandra Johnson, public information officer for St. Charles.

COVID-19 rates in Deschutes County have risen for the past two weeks. Credit: Central Oregon Health Authority

Federal approval process creates distribution delays

The current access problem stems from an unusual delay in the federal approval process. Typically, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborate on COVID vaccine approval during summer months, allowing distribution by fall.

This year was different. While the FDA approved the new COVID vaccine in August, the CDC has not issued its official recommendations. The agency is waiting for its advisory panel —the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — to meet and provide guidance before moving forward. This “has caused mass confusion for insurance companies, pharmacies, clinics and public health departments,” says Sarah Van Meter, Deschutes County’s immunization program coordinator.

Without the CDC official recommendation, the state of Oregon has been in vaccine limbo. The Oregon Health Authority explains that “until that guidance is published, pharmacies in Oregon need a clinician’s prescription to give the vaccine.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not given COVID recommendations, causing significant barriers to access throughout the country. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

State seeks alternative solutions

In response to federal delays, Oregon has joined the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional effort focusing evidence-based recommendations for vaccines. The alliance hopes to eliminate restrictions and offer new COVID vaccine guidance this month.

The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet Sept. 18–19, with updated guidance expected to follow.

Complicated access issues

Professional medical organizations are continuing to recommend widespread vaccinations. The American Academy of Family Physicians maintains that adults under 65 should receive updated vaccines.

“History shows us that vaccines have eradicated diseases that were disabling and deadly in the past, and we can keep it that way, if we continue to vaccinate,” said Margot Savoy, chief medical officer of the AAFP in a recent press release. “Protecting public health is our collective responsibility.”

However, such guidance is not legally binding under current state protocols.

The Deschutes County Health Services website states that it does not currently have COVID-19 vaccine doses in stock and is awaiting supply from the Oregon Health Authority. Vaccines “weren’t already in stock in many pharmacies and clinics because everyone was awaiting the FDA approval for on-label usage. Shipments from manufacturers were being held until after FDA approval,” explains Deschutes County’s Van Meter.

This article appears in the Source September 18, 2025.