PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is recommending the state avoid any delay in providing access to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine after the Western States Scientific Review Workgroup confirmed the vaccine is safe and effective Sunday. 

Oregon, Washington, and Nevada joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup in October. The group has worked concurrently and independently to review the FDA’s decisions related to COVID-19 vaccinations. The panel is made up of nationally acclaimed scientists who are experts in immunization and public health.  

“With recommendations from the FDA, CDC, and, now, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Oregonians can rest assured that some of the best doctors, scientists, and immunologists in the world have reviewed the data and affirmed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective,” Brown said. 

Brown said the state will work as quickly as possible to deliver vaccines to the public. The first people to receive the vaccine in Oregon will be frontline healthcare workers and those who have been hit hardest by the virus. 

The governor asks people to still stay home as much as possible, wear masks, and avoid gatherings. 

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said, “It was crucial that the Western states had their own independent review of the vaccine, so we can have additional confidence on its safety and efficacy before we start administering to the people of our states.” 

He pointed out that two of the doctors in the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup are from Washington.  

In a press conference Friday, Brown announced details of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines expected to be shipped to Oregon within the month. 

“Our federal partners tell us pending approval, Oregon will be receiving 25,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, shipping December 15. The following week, approximately 71,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will be on its way,” Brown said.

The FDA authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday.

The Scientific Safety Review Workgroup will continue to evaluate other COVID-19 vaccines after they’re authorized by the FDA.