La Grande High School teacher James Akers leads a class at Freshman Academy on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. 

SALEM — All Oregon health care workers and K-12 school employees and volunteers will be required to get fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus to keep their jobs, Gov. Kate Brown announced Thursday, Aug. 19.

But they will have some time to get their shots before the rules go into effect.

In details provided to the media ahead of an 11 a.m. Aug. 19 video announcement, the governor said the shots will become mandatory no sooner than Oct. 18, and even then only after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants full approval for their use.

The governor’s office emphasized that masks will also remain part of the state’s strategy to combat the spread of the coronavirus at a time when infections are surging, especially in schools, where children younger than 12 are not eligible to be vaccinated.

Brown’s announcement comes at a time when hospital beds are filling up with COVID-19 patients, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated. Oregon Health & Science University forecasts a dire shortage of medical facilities across the state if infection trends continue. By Labor Day, Oregon will have 400 to 500 fewer staffed hospital beds than patients require, OHSU officials forecast Aug. 18.

“The fifth wave of the pandemic in Oregon remains much more severe than previous surges,” Peter Graven, lead data scientist in OHSU’s business intelligence unit, said in a written statement. “Every action to flatten the curve will help us avoid overwhelming our hospitals and ensure all Oregonians have access to medical care when they need it.”

As of Aug. 18, 850 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Oregon — surpassing the state’s record, which was set the previous day. A third of the state’s intensive care capacity is taken up by COVID-19 patients, according to OHSU.

Last week, Brown reinstated a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces. This week she’s bringing in the National Guard to help hospital workers.

In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Wednesday that anybody working in a that state’s schools must be vaccinated.

Oregon’s largest school district, Portland Public Schools, has also announced a vaccine requirement for its employees.