Governor Kate Brown got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine at an OHSU clinic in Scappoose Saturday, one week after it became the third vaccine to receive emergency authorization from the Food & Drug Administration.
It marked a reversal of her previous public statements that she would not get the vaccine before it was available to the general public. But in a March 6 statement, she cited the need to allay concerns about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“There have been a number of rumors and misinformation about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine since its approval by the FDA,” she said in a statement. “It was important to me to demonstrate today that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective.”
She went on to state that all three vaccines that have been approved for use in Oregon are safe and effective, and Oregonians should feel comfortable taking them when it is their turn to do so.
“Every week my office hears the question: If these vaccines are so safe, then why hasn’t Kate Brown gotten one?” Brown said. “I want to reassure Oregonians that they should feel confident taking any of the three vaccines available to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The state’s vaccination efforts have significantly expanded since the first immunizations came online in December, and were available only to the most vulnerable and frontline health care workers.
Last week, Oregon passed the 1 million doses mark, and teams are now administering more than 20,000 doses each day.
In other state Covid news, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced Oregon will receive $110 million in federal funding to assist with vaccine distribution efforts.
In a separate statement Monday, Brown said the “critical funds” will be invaluable in the continued ramp-up of vaccination efforts across the state.
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I am extremely pleased that Oregon will receive these critical funds from @fema as we continue our efforts to ramp up vaccinations across the state. These funds will help @OHAOregon and @OregonOEM provide vaccine access to Oregonians. My full statement:https://t.co/QUMd8nswGz pic.twitter.com/NdxZu2XrxA
“These emergency funds bring some welcome financial relief and will help ensure the cost of vaccinating Oregonians will not be a barrier to our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
“I want to thank our partners at FEMA for streamlining the public assistance grant process. The expedited funding will help the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management provide vaccine access to Oregonians and support local vaccination efforts across the state.”
The $110 million award is funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program, which reimburses communities for actions taken for response and recovery from a disaster.
FEMA reimbursement is paid directly to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, which then makes disbursements to the local and tribal jurisdictions and state agencies that incurred costs related to the vaccine rollout.