Oregon health Q&A: What’s the vaccine outlook for fall for COVID, flu?

Experts from the Oregon Health Authority, other state organizations, or community partners respond to inquiries. Permission is obtained to republish questions and replies.

Q: I am worried about the availability of these vaccines this autumn as a senior who has had every COVID shot available plus a flu shot every fall since they were first available. How likely is it that these vaccines will be available this year?Linda, Ontario

A decision last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the 2025–2026 flu vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older. As usual, we anticipate that everyone will have access to the vaccine starting in September.

We anticipate that producers will release a fresh batch of COVID-19 vaccinations for the respiratory virus season of 2025–2026. It is yet unclear, though, how they will be formulated, when they will be made available, who will be advised to receive them, and if Medicare or insurance companies would pay for them for everyone who requests them. We are all on edge due to the continual changes in federal vaccine policy.

Nevertheless, all Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) participants aged six months and older are still eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to current CDC guidelines, you are eligible for two doses of the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination if you are 65 years of age or older and not immunocompromised. And after that, keep an eye out. Through this newsletter and other channels, we will do our best to inform Oregonians.

Q: Do I need to get vaccinated or am I still immune if I had measles in the late 1950s?Eugene KN

A: You are immune to measles and always will be. Anyone who has ever had measles is immune for life and does not require vaccination.

This also applies to those who have had two doses of the measles vaccine. You might think about receiving a second dosage if you’ve only had one and think you’ve been exposed.

Read our blog post, Measles: What You Should Know and Who Might Want to Consider Vaccination, to find answers to many frequently asked questions regarding measles and measles vaccination.

Please use this form to report any questions you may have for the Oregon Health Authority regarding health-related matters. The agency will make an effort to address questions that will be of interest to a wide audience, even though it cannot answer all of them. Please be aware that OHA is not qualified to offer precise medical advice regarding individual medical issues.