Learn about the safe and effective vaccines authorized for use in the United States.
Learn more about safety and effectiveness of vaccinesDetermine your eligibility and find vaccine providers in your county.
Learn more about providing vaccines in OregonRead about Oregon’s phased approach to vaccination.
Learn more prioritization and distribution
Find answers to vaccine-related questions, including information for parents and people under 18.
The Food & Drug Administration requires rigorous safety testing before it will approve any vaccine. Tens of thousands of people from many diverse backgrounds, age groups and geographic locations participated in COVID-19 vaccine testing.
Based on the data collected, the federal Food and Drug Administration authorized three different vaccines for emergency use in the United States: the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, comprised of nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunizations and public health, also independently reviewed the vaccine data collected and determined all three vaccines were safe and effective.
Millions of Americans have now been vaccinated, and strict ongoing checks show no safety concerns.
Note: The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not been approved or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but have been authorized for emergency use by the FDA, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for use in individuals 16 and older for Pfizer, and 18 years of age and older for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The emergency use of these products is only authorized for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of the medical product under Section 564(b)(1) of the Food Drug &Cosmetic Act unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.
Vaccine makers submit an Investigational New Drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The application describes the vaccine and how it is manufactured. Also included are
information about the vaccine's safety and ability to produce an immune response in laboratories as well as the proposed clinical protocol for studies in humans.
FDA Phase 1 Clinical Trials
FDA Phase 2 Clinical Trials
FDA Phase 3 Clinical Trials
If successful, the vaccine maker submits a license application to FDA that provides efficacy and safety information FDA makes a risk/benefit assessment and decides whether to recommend or oppose the
approval of a vaccine. Also, during this stage, the proposed manufacturing facility undergoes a pre-approval inspection during which production of the vaccine as it is in progress is examined in detail.
Following FDA's review of a license application, the vaccine maker and FDA may present their findings to the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). This committee is a group
of non governmental and non-industry scientists, physicians, statisticians, and a consumer representative that provides advice to the FDA regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccine for the proposed
use.
Vaccine approval also requires that the product be labeled to allow health care providers to understand the vaccine's proper use, including its potential benefits and risks, to safely deliver the vaccine
to the public. The vaccine and the manufacturing processes are approved by FDA during a pandemic. A vaccine may receive an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) before getting approval. Once a vaccine is
licensed, researchers continue to monitor people who receive it to make sure it Is safe and effective.
Once FDA approves a vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on whether and how products should be used by public health. CDC guidance is informed by an outside
advisory committee called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP independently reviews the vaccine safety and efficacy data, as well as epidemiologic data describing which groups
are most at risk and likely to benefit from vaccination.
The government uses the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to identify problems after a vaccine is given to the public. This system allows additional formal studies on a vaccine to continue once it is
on the market. Unlike other medications and devices, vaccines are closely monitored for safety and effectiveness after they become available to the public. VAERS is one of
multiple monitoring systems used to monitor vaccine safety.
During a pandemic, a vaccine may receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) before being approved through a standard application. The FDA Commissioner may authorize medical products or unapproved uses of approved
medical products to be used in a public health emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when there are no available alternatives, and when the benefits of using a
new medical product outweigh their risks.
For more information, visit the FDA website.
Governor Kate Brown announced that Oregon is joining other western states to review the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines
once approved by the FDA. The Scientific Safety Review Workgroup includes Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Colorado.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup confirmed the Moderna vaccine is safe and effective.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup confirmed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective.
The panel includes experts appointed by all member states, and nationally recognized scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. This panel reviews all publicly available data concurrently with
federal reviews and will present a report as soon as possible after the FDA approves a vaccine. This will happen for all approved COVID-19 vaccines.
This is an added layer of independent expert review that will help build confidence in the vaccine and bring an additional layer of scrutiny to this important process. OHA is engaging with communities and groups
that are most affected by COVID- 19, and we have heard that Oregon communities have questions and concerns about the safety of the vaccine. We want to give our community the highest confidence in a COVID-19
vaccine. This panel is another step to do that.
Get Vaccinated Oregon (GVO) is a tool that will tell you if you are currently eligible to receive a vaccine in Oregon. If you are not yet eligible, it will enable you to set up text or email notifications to be notified when you become eligible. Once you are eligible, this tool will also help you find a vaccine provider or vaccination event near you. Sign up today!
Get Vaccinated Oregon Get Vaccinated Oregon ResourcesIf you are unable to use the GVO tool, you can also explore the Vaccine Information by County page, or contact 211 for vaccine registration information. Text ORCOVID to 898211 (English and Spanish only), email ORCOVID@211info.org or call 211 or 1-866-698-6155 (toll-free from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily TTY: call 711 then dial 1-866-698-6155).
Until we vaccinate enough Oregonians to stop the spread of COVID-19, we are going to have to continue to wear face coverings, keep our gatherings small, stay home when we’re sick, wash our hands often and physically distance from people we don’t live with.
Navigate these documents to find more answers to frequently asked questions.
Oregon, like other states, currently does not have enough vaccine to immunize everyone against COVID-19. As distribution efforts continue, OHA will update its data dashboards to reflect the total number of vaccines that have been administered throughout the state.
Accessibility: For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print, or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us
Printing requests: You can download materials on this page. OHA does not offer paper versions. Please feel free to print whatever you need.
Language access: OHA is working to provide original content in languages other than English. Many of the materials in our community resources section are available in multiple languages. OHA is also providing the Google™ Translate option to assist you in reading the OHA website in languages other than English. Google™ Translate cannot translate all types of documents and may not provide an exact translation. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google™ Translate does so at their own risk. OHA does not make any promises, assurances, or guarantees as to the accuracy of the translations provided.
General vaccine questions: ORCOVID@211info.org