Alaska received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine Sunday night via UPS plane, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.
Delivery and transport of the vaccine to health care facilities across Alaska will be happening this week, leading to the first vaccinations of Alaskans by the end of this week.
Bruce Richards, External Affairs Director for Central Peninsula Hospital said CPH is scheduled to receive the vaccines Thursday, “We’re getting one tray of vaccines, which is 975 doses. Not all of that is for the hospital. The hospital is getting 540 of that tray. We are scheduled to receive those sometime mid-day on Thursday.”
The vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, was authorized Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through an emergency use authorization (EUA).
Richards outlines who will receive the vaccine first, “They’re getting limited quantities as they produce the vaccines. It’s in very limited supply early on. The first shipment of vaccines will go to hospital base frontline healthcare workers who are highest risk for COVID-19, long-term care facility residents and staff, skill nursing homes like Heritage Place, EMS, Fire Personnel, Community Aides and practitioners and then individuals who are required to perform vaccinations. Those are the people that the state has approved to receive the vaccine first. This is all decided at the state level.”
The first vaccination clinic is expected to be on Friday at Central Peninsula Hospital.
With this pandemic beginning nearly a year ago, Richards explains the importance of receiving the vaccines on the Kenai Peninsula, “I think that this is signaling the beginning of the end of this period in our lives that has been very difficult for everyone. Getting people vaccinated and getting them protected from this virus is hugely important for the community and especially as we get this first shipment, getting the healthcare workers and long-term care residents and frontline responders vaccinated is very important. It’s very exciting. It certainly an amazing time frame that they were able to do this and I’m very excited for this to arrive here.”
It is not known when the next dose of shipments will arrive in Alaska.