552 Fully Vaccinated Oregon Residents Died Of COVID-19, Half Received Pfizer Vaccine

More than 500 residents in Oregon have now died of COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated against the virus as health officials continue to report over 2,000 new infections daily.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, health authorities in Oregon have recorded a total of 552 breakthrough COVID-19 deaths throughout the state. Of the total number of deaths, 273 people had been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. At least 144 received the Moderna vaccine and 78 were given the Johnson & Johnson shots, according to data from the Oregon Health Authority.

The recent report also showed that there were 4,134 new COVID-19 cases recorded between Nov. 21 and Nov. 27. At least 1,186 were breakthrough infections.

As of Dec. 2, Oregon reported a total of 45,545 coronavirus infections among the fully vaccinated. At least 6.6% of breakthrough infections were reported in people aged 80 and older. People aged 12 to 19 also accounted for 4.8% of all cases reported in the state. The majority of the cases (10.9%) were reported in people aged 30 to 39.

The Oregon Health Authority’s report comes as the state continues to report high rates of COVID-19 cases. Over the past weekend, health officials recorded 2,041 new infections and 25 additional deaths.

Despite the rising number of breakthrough cases and deaths, health experts still urge people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, noting that the shots continue to offer protection.

The Oregon Health Authority has opened a new high-volume vaccination site at the former Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village. All three vaccines approved for use in the U.S. will be offered at the new vaccination site. Booster shots and vaccine doses for children will also be available.

People hoping to get vaccinated at the Wood Village site are not required to book an appointment to receive the vaccine. The site accepts walk-in and drive-in recipients.

The Oregon Health Authority is also planning to open nearly a dozen vaccination sites statewide throughout December, including locations in Baker County Fairgrounds, Clackamas County, Columbia County Fairgrounds, Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Jackson County Expo Center, Marion County, Union County and Washington County, according to KGW8.