Boosters Recommended
Recommendations have been released for some people to get booster shots for the COVID-19 vaccine. Oregon is following the F-D-A and C-D-C, which recommends booster shots for people 65 and older who received the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. It’s also encouraged for younger people at risk of severe infection because of other medical conditions, and for front-line workers. Doctor Kristen Dillon is senior advisor for Oregon’s COVID Response and Recovery Unit. She says the vaccines provide good protection, but decline over time and in a more pronounced way for older people.
“That’s why the recommendation is so strong, particularly for those who are older to get the booster – to just get their immunity back up again. It’s pretty common with vaccinations that it takes multiple shots for us to get to really robust ability to resist infection.”
Dillon says booster shots are common for other vaccines, such as tetanus and flu shots. She says people can speak with their primary care doctor or go to getvaccinated-dot-oregon-dot-gov to find a vaccine site. Boosters aren’t yet recommended for the Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccines, but that could change in the coming weeks.
COVID-19 Numbers
Lane County added 259 individuals to the COVID-19 list over the three day weekend beginning on Friday morning. averaging 103 cases per day. There were no new cases for the 97439 zip code over the weekend, and cases for the state were 2,895. There were also 20 new deaths reported. The state recorded more than 4,000 deaths now to date in the state due to COVID-19 infections OHA director Patrick Allen says that is just two short months from when we were at 3,000. Stating that the delta variant moved quickly through the state causing much more severe illness and death. Allen says vaccines are still the most effective way to stay safe and even out of the hospital. He says the Delta Variant has changed the scope of the coronavirus and recommends vaccinations to those who have not yet consented to them.
Vaccination Clinic
The City of Florence has opened the Florence events center for vaccinations this Friday. Lane County Public Health will be facilitating the event and registrations are suggested through lanecounty.org/vaxclinics. The event will be from 10 am until 6 pm. Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna will be available as will the Pfizer booster.
Giveaway This Friday and Saturday
Three local Florence organizations are teaming up to provide a free Community GiveAway Event this weekend. The Florence Foodshare, Florence Habitat for Humanity, and Spruce Point Assisted Living and Memory Care are working together to sponsor this giveaway event which will allow members of the Florence community and surrounding areas to have access to various items free of charge or donation only. There will be furniture, bedding, home furnishings, home decor, kitchen items and durable medical equipment. This Community GiveAway Event will take place at the Florence Foodshare parking lot (2190 Spruce St, Florence) and will run Friday, October 15th and Saturday, October 16th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.
