December 15, 2020 3:45 a.m.

The first COVID-19 vaccine doses have arrived in Oregon.

A release from the Oregon Health Authority said Legacy Health is the first registered COVID-19 vaccine provider in the state to receive the vaccine, made by Phizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The health system’s sites in Portland and Tualatin each took delivery of one package of 975 doses early Monday morning.

Additional doses are expected to arrive at three other locations in Oregon on Tuesday: Oregon Health & Science University Pharmacy in Portland, Kaiser Permanente’s Airport Way Center in Portland, and St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Ontario are also expected to receive 975-dose packages of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The remaining 30,225 Phizer vaccine doses from this week’s allocation of 35,100 doses for Oregon will arrive at hospitals throughout the rest of the week. 10,725 doses will go to skilled nursing facilities for vaccinations that start next week.

Governor Kate Brown said, “Today I can tell you that help is here”. Brown said as vaccines become more widely available, “…we will begin gaining ground again in our fight against this disease”.

OHA Director Patrick Allen said vaccinations against COVID-19 are still months away for most Oregonians, so vigilance in practicing basic prevention measures, like wearing masks, physical distancing, avoiding gatherings, staying home if sick, must continue.

The release said health care workers, hospital employees, emergency medical services personnel, as well as long-term care facilities employees and residents, will get the first doses. Essential workers, followed by people with underlying health conditions and those older than 65 are next in line as they are identified by OHA’s equity-focused Vaccine Advisory Committee.

Priority groups in Phase 2 will be determined at a later time. The general population isn’t expected to be eligible for vaccination until sometime next spring.

Go to: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19 for more statewide information about COVID-19.