FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 11, 2020

Contact:

Clinton Bennett, DHSS, (907) 269-4996, clinton.bennett@alaska.gov Shirley Young, ANTHC, 907-729-5653, slyoung@anthc.org

***Media Advisory***

COVID-19 Vaccine Arrival and Distribution in Alaska

WHEN:	TBD, vaccine arrival expected next week
WHO:	Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & participating health care facilities
WHAT:	Video/still photography of COVID-19 vaccine delivery, distribution, and administration to be provided to all interested media.

The Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, co-led by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), is planning for the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive in Alaska sometime early next week, pending authorization of the Pfizer vaccine under an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer vaccine to the FDA. The FDA is expected to issue the EUA on Saturday, Dec. 12. Following the EUA, shipping of the vaccine could begin as early as Sunday and continue through Tuesday.

Alaska is expected to receive 35,100 doses of Pfizer vaccine sometime next week. The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) and other health care entities anticipate administering the first phase of vaccinations soon after vaccine is received in Alaska.

The first group of Alaskans to be vaccinated will include hospital-based front-line health care workers at highest risk for COVID-19 infection; long-term care facility residents and staff; EMS and fire personnel providing medical services; community health aides/practitioners; and individuals who are required to perform vaccination. These allocations were determined by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) and the Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Committee.  

At the request of several health care facilities, DHSS and ANTHC will collectively provide a variety of footage to the media. These requests were made to help minimize exposure risk of COVID-19 for patients, providers and news staff by limiting the number of individuals within health care facilities for these events. Providing this footage allows media outlets, who may not otherwise have access, a means by which they can access materials for statewide storytelling purposes.

We are expecting to be able to provide footage of the vaccine arrival and distribution as well as some early vaccinations within a few of Alaska’s hospitals. The footage and still photos will be provided as promptly as possible via a DHSS link provided to media upon request.

Media outlets are encouraged to use this resource to alleviate the burden on health care facilities. Media may of course still contact health care facilities to make their own arrangements for covering these events. We plan to issue a press release with more details Sunday evening or Monday morning, as plans evolve.

We appreciate your dedication to informing Alaskans as we all work to navigate this process in the best interest of each individual resident.

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• COVID-19 Vaccine Press Advisory_20201211.pdf