Oregon falls short of booster shot goal, but new cases drop

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon health officials have fallen far short of a goal to get COVID-19 booster shots into the arms of an additional 1 million Oregonians by the end of January. Gov. Kate Brown announced the goal in December as Oregon braced for a surge in cases and hospitalizations from the highly contagious omicron variant. But data released by the Oregon Health Authority shows the state only got booster shots into the arms of 504,081 additional residents, about half the goal. Authorities say new cases statewide dropped more than 20% week-to-week, however, indicating that Oregon’s omicron surge may be receding.