PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More doses of the approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Oregon on Tuesday, with Kaiser Permanente and OHSU receiving their first shipments.
Kaiser Permanente received its first box of 975 doses around 7:30 a.m. Kaiser Permanente, which has several freezers to hold well over 200,000 doses, will be a designated distribution site to supply the Pfizer vaccine to other providers. They’re expecting more boxes later in the week.
Tentatively speaking, Kaiser Permanente plans on starting vaccinating their frontline health care workers on Friday. Hospitals are expecting more confirmation of details from federal officials in the next few days.
The Oregon Health & Science University Pharmacy received their 975-dose package mid-day Tuesday. They plan to start vaccinating Wednesday.
The Portland VA Hospital confirmed their shipment arrived Tuesday morning as well. They received 2,925 doses total – three trays with 195 vials that each provide 5 doses.
St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Ontario was also expected to receive theirs. The remaining 30,225 doses will be distributed to various hospitals in the state throughout the rest of the week.
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver received nearly 4,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and plan to vaccinate their first group of caregivers on Wednesday morning.
The Moderna vaccine could be approved by the FDA this week and officials said doses of that vaccine could start going out to state by the end of the week.
The Legacy Research Institute in Northeast Portland was the first facility to receive a box of the Pfizer vaccine early Monday. A second box went to the Legacy Meridian Park site in Tualatin. Each facility received 975 doses.
