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COVID-19: Your health and safety

Updated April 3, 2023

Responding to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) guidance, effective April 3, 2023, Adventist Health Tillamook will no longer require patients and visitors in our healthcare settings to wear masks. All patient and visitor mask usage will be voluntary, with face masks available upon request.

Adventist Health Tillamook highly recommends that all cold/flu symptomatic patients or visitors wear a mask, following pre-pandemic guidelines. Some patients, depending on the procedure, will still be required to take a COVID-19 test with details on where to get that test available below.

Our visitation policy is updated regularly to reflect county and state guidelines. Please call ahead to confirm the current guidelines, and if you have any questions.

Where can I get my COVID vaccine?

We are offering scheduled appointments for vaccines, or as part of a scheduled provider visit at the following locations:

We believe the evidence of getting a vaccine to be clear. All of the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and highly recommended. We encourage all patients and associates to get the vaccine immediately and follow state-wide mask usage mandates. Even immunized people have been shown to transmit the disease before becoming symptomatic, underscoring that mask use is important for everyone.

Where can I get a Rapid COVID test?

We offer Rapid COVID-19 and influenza testing at all our medical office locations. If you are insured, and the test is medically necessary, your test will be billed to insurance. A copay or deductible may apply. If you are uninsured, and the test is medically necessary, there is no cost. Find a convenient location near you.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective

What about side effects?

There may be side effects, but they should go away within a few days. Possible side effects include a sore arm, headache, fever or body aches. This does not mean you have COVID-19. Side effects are signs that the vaccine is working to build immunity. You cannot get COVID-19 from any of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States because they do not contain the actual virus that causes the disease.

While more serious side effects are possible, they are extremely rare. Severe allergic reactions occur in only two to five people out of every 1 million who get the vaccine. By contrast, the risk of dying if you contract COVID-19 is estimated to be between 500 to 90,000 out of 1 million depending on your age.

Was there enough testing?

The vaccines all have Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), which is an official form of FDA approval that allows for the manufacturing and approval of vaccines to be streamlined in a public health emergency such as a pandemic. EUA does not mean shortcuts were taken in the research or clinical studies to ensure vaccine safety. The COVID-19 vaccines went through the same trials as other vaccines and drugs, just on a different track than is commonly used by the FDA. Over 330 million doses of vaccine have now been given in the U.S., and the FDA and CDC continue to categorize all available brands to be both safe and effective. In addition, the FDA has reported that approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is expected in early September.

What’s in the vaccines?

Both Moderna and Pfizer are Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. mRNA are a newer type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. They teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies. The mRNA is the only active ingredient in the vaccine. The remaining ingredients, including acids, acid stabilizers, salt and sugar all work together to maintain the stability of the vaccine after it is produced.

Learn more with COVID-19 frequently asked questions.