The first Alaskans to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last month are now eligible to get their second shot this week.
So far, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports that there have been 29,029 doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Bruce Richards, Director of External Affairs at the Central Peninsula Hospital says, “We began administering the first doses to employees about three weeks ago last Thursday or Friday. They’re now due for their second dose. So we have begun administering second doses to those employees who have already received their first dose. We continued last week vaccinating those who had not received their first vaccinations. Obviously the state has set this out in phases for who’s allowed to get the vaccine and we’re continuing to follow that. Yes, we have not completed, but we’re close to completing the first round and had begun the second round of doses of the vaccine for employees that are dealing with direct patient care or are on the front lines working, whether it’s environmental services, people that are in and out of patient rooms, those kinds of folks that have direct exposure.”
Richards says the continued rollout of the vaccines is great news for those hoping that the pandemic will come to an end soon. “Today (Monday) was the day that they began administering vaccines to those who are 65 and older. That has also begun today around the state, so that’s good news. With some of these new, more transmissible strains that are happening, I think it couldn’t be a better time to get people vaccinated for that so that we can get as many as vaccinated as possible before that really gets a stronghold in our country.”
Nurses and doctors treating COVID-19 patients will still wear the same protective gear as before, even after they are fully vaccinated.
More information can be found here.