Oregon public health officials are asking Oregonians to take steps to protect themselves and others from the slew of respiratory illnesses likely to emerge again this winter.
COVID-19 is not the only culprit – other respiratory illnesses include influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, along with measles and whooping cough. Public health officials on Thursday encouraged people to get vaccinated and use other strategies to avoid getting sick, like hand-washing, avoiding indoor crowded gatherings and testing when symptoms appear. Face masks, while not mandatory, also help ward off illnesses, officials said.
“Fortunately, we have some very effective tools to help people risk less and do more this respiratory season,” Dr. Melissa Sutton, the health authority’s medical director for respiratory viral pathogens, said Thursday in a call with reporters.
Dr. Richard Bruno, health officer for Multnomah County, said the state has outbreaks currently of measles and pertussis, or whooping cough. So far, Oregon has had 31 cases of measles reported, the highest since 1991. None of those who contracted the highly contagious disease were vaccinated and two needed to be hospitalized, Bruno said.
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The last confirmed measles case was in mid-August, so Oregon may be near the end of the current outbreak, he said. However, now that children are back in school, more measles cases may emerge, Bruno said. Oregon schoolchildren are below the 95% vaccination rate that’s needed for “herd immunity” or when enough people are immune to the disease so that it cannot easily spread.
Measles infects the respiratory tract and spreads throughout the body, often causing a high fever, cough, runny nose and rash. The measles vaccine is highly effective and required for school attendance though parents can opt out.
Oregon’s 550,000 schoolchildren are also required to be vaccinated against whooping cough, which has surged in Lane, Multnomah, Clackamas and several other counties. So far, 560 people have been infected with whooping cough this year compared with 26 cases in 2023, state data shows.
Whooping cough usually starts with cold-like symptoms that progress to an uncontrollable cough. Pertussis is caused by a bacteria, not a virus, which means it’s susceptible to antibiotics. If someone has a cough that’s not getting better, they should see their health care provider, officials said.
Both measles and whooping cough are among the most contagious diseases in the world, Bruno said, and both have effective vaccines.
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If someone has had measles in the past, received two vaccine doses or was born before 1957, they are immune, he said. With whooping cough, most people usually get vaccinated by age 12 and updated every 10 years as part of a tetanus booster shot, he said.
“Fortunately, we have vaccines for all of these illnesses to help protect us, so please consider making sure you are up to date,” Bruno said.
Groups of people who are particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses in general include young people, pregnant people, those with compromised immune systems and the elderly. Infants under 6 months old face the highest risk for RSV while adults older than 65 and people with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Public health officials said people in rural areas, which have fewer providers, should get vaccinated.
“In Harney County, which is where I live, it can be three hours in a single direction to get to medical care,” said Dr. Sarah Laiosa, public health officer for Malhuer and Harney counties. “And I think it’s really important to do the things that we could do to prevent the severe disease so that they don’t need to access that medical care that can be so hard to get to.”
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Laiosa said people should talk to their health care providers about vaccinations rather than rely upon untrustworthy sources.
“Unfortunately, there is an incredible amount of disinformation on vaccines in the world today, and it’s important that people seek information from a health care provider they trust before deciding what is best for them,” she said. “I want to encourage everyone out there to ask your health provider questions you might have. They want to hear from you, and they want to inform you and empower you.”
Outlook is unclear
At this point, officials don’t know how severe COVID will be this winter.
Unlike other respiratory diseases, cases surged this summer in Oregon. Health authority data, based on wastewater surveillance, indicates that COVID cases are still on the rise in Canby, Florence and Medford, while cases are leveling out at many other sites. The prevalence of COVID in Hood River, Siletz, Lincoln City, Klamath Falls and Grants Pass has decreased.
Officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have formulated short-term forecasts for COVID but those were placed on hold during the summer.
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CDC officials recommend that everyone stay up to date on their COVID shots because their effectiveness wanes over time. The latest booster shots, which were recently approved, are now available and are recommended especially for those who are at least 65 years old or at high risk of infection.
With influenza, officials look to countries in the southern hemisphere, which go through winter before the north, to figure out what strains are circulating and how severe the flu season might be. But this year they’ve offered a mixed outlook.
“We have a handful of countries who had quite severe influenza seasons, and then we have some countries that had really mild seasons, so we really don’t have a clear picture of what we’re facing this year,” Sutton said, adding that’s why it’s important to stay updated on vaccinations.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
