Multnomah County is pleased to confirm that the County received 1,300 doses of Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 from the Oregon Health Authority this morning. The County is expecting another 3,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine in the coming days.
Under the state framework for distribution, the County will be working with cities, with County employees and with other partners to distribute all initial doses to the priority populations identified in Phase 1 (A), including healthcare workers and first responders. The Moderna vaccines received today are earmarked for paramedics and others with Gresham and Portland fire agencies.
This marks the beginning of the monumental task of tracking, receiving and distributing vaccine to priority groups in Multnomah County over the next several months. The county is reviewing and refining existing federal and statewide prioritization guidance.
Some first responders in the initial group are scheduled to begin receiving their first dose of vaccine as early as Thursday, Dec. 31. The Moderna vaccine was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 18. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized Dec. 11. More than 31,000 doses of vaccines have already been distributed in Oregon, mostly to front-line health workers. You can track COVID-19 vaccination trends on the OHA Vaccine page.