VA Portland set to begin use of one-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The VA Portland Health Care System will begin COVID-19 vaccinations with the Janssen vaccine next week, officials said Thursday. It follows the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccine.
In clinical trials, the Janssen vaccine showed an efficacy of 66% against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 disease occurring at least 28 days after vaccination — and demonstrated greater than 85% efficacy in preventing severe/critical COVID-19 disease occurring at least 28 days after vaccination, the agency said.
“VA Portland is eager to be able to offer a third, highly effective vaccine to more Veterans,” said Darwin Goodspeed, director of the VA Portland Health Care System. “This one-dose vaccine will help us reach our ultimate goal of offering COVID-19 vaccination to all Veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.”
As of Thursday, VA Portland has provided more than 36,0000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to veterans, employees and select federal partners.
Only enrolled veterans who receive care with VA Portland and who are in the eligible age groups for the vaccine are being contacted to schedule their vaccinations.
If not enrolled for VA care, veterans are encouraged to check eligibility and enroll by calling the VA Health Eligibility Center at 1-877-222-VETS (8387). More eligibility information is here.
Go to www.portland.va.gov for updated information on local vaccination details as well as the national “COVID-19 vaccines at VA” website. Anyone can sign up on that main VA Portland web page to receive email updates where it says “CONNECT WITH VA PORTLAND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.” Information is also shared on the VA Portland Facebook page.
Veterans are asked to please not call the health care system for COVID vaccination scheduling or for updates. They are encouraged to communicate their questions or concerns about their care through their care teams, preferably through secure messaging via MyHealtheVet.
