DHSS Press Release: Vaccine providers prepare for February COVID-19 vaccine shipments; more appointments for eligible Alaskans will become available on Thursday

Alaska DOH sent this bulletin at 01/27/2021 03:59 PM AKST

DHSS Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Clinton Bennett, DHSS, 907-269-4996, clinton.bennett@alaska.gov 

Vaccine providers prepare for February COVID-19 vaccine shipments; more appointments for eligible Alaskans will become available on Thursday

January 27, 2021 ANCHORAGE– The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) announced this week that Alaska will receive 41,100 first doses of state-allocated COVID-19 vaccine for the month of February. Additionally, 18,500 doses have been allocated to the federal Indian Health Service (IHS). IHS vaccine is managed by Alaska's Tribal Health System. 

These two allocations total 59,600 first doses for February.

These vaccine totals do not include federal vaccine allocated separately to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. 

An equal amount of second doses will be shipped to Alaska later in the month.

February’s allocation is slightly more vaccine than the 52,900 first doses the State received in January.

The Alaska Vaccine Task Force, co-led by DHSS and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, has looked to State of Alaska public health nurses and their local partners to work with their communities to determine distribution of vaccine within the communities they serve.

Vaccine providers learned their exact allocations for February today, which in turn will lead to new vaccine appointments becoming open for scheduling tomorrow for eligible Alaskans.

Though more vaccine is arriving in the state, eligibility is expected to remain the same through much of February as the state works to vaccinate Alaskans ages 65 and above, health care workers, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

New appointments available this week

Planning for February appointments begins this week, with many appointments expected to become available tomorrow, Jan. 28 for appointments starting Feb. 4.

 Please keep these tips in mind when scheduling:

  • COVID-19 vaccine is still limited in supply. Please confirm you are eligible BEFORE you contact a provider. Scheduling an appointment before you’re eligible may result in a cancelled appointment. More importantly, it creates a time burden for the provider cancelling the appointment and may delay vaccination for those who are currently eligible.
  • Please schedule an appointment in your home community. Allocations are made based on population.
  • To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 1-907-646-3322. Our call center is now staffed to receive calls as they come in 9 am – 6:30 pm Monday - Friday and 9 am-4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday. You may be put on hold, but you will not need to leave a message for a return phone call if you call within business hours.
  • Please note that the “find a COVID-19 vaccine provider” webpage on covidvax.alaska.gov  now provides a tool (Option B) that shows available COVID-19 vaccine appointments from some vaccine providers.
  • If you know a senior or Elder who is eligible, please offer to help them schedule an appointment. We continue to make improvements to our website and scheduling system, but we know it is still not easy to navigate for some. Please help others if you can.

Who is eligible now?

Alaskans who are now eligible to receive vaccine under the state’s phased distribution plan include:

  • People age 65 and above (Phase 1b, Tier 1)
  • Those previously eligible which includes many health care workers, long-term care facility and staff and frontline EMS and fire service personnel who provide medical care (Phase 1a).

For details about eligibility visit covidvax.alaska.gov.

 

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