SALEM — State health officials said Thursday, Oct. 28, that 80% of Oregonians who are 18 or older have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

They said it’s an important milestone. But health experts estimate it’s still well below the level needed to reach “herd immunity” and stop viral transmission altogether.

Including those 12 and older, 63% of eligible Oregon residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That puts Oregon in 12th place nationwide.

COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to go down in Oregon. But hospitalizations did go up last week, for the first time in about two months. Most hospitals throughout the state still are at or near full capacity.

The Oregon Health Authority said getting more people vaccinated is the state’s best way out of this pandemic. Officials are urging people who are unvaccinated to get immunized as soon as possible.