Alaska on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its list of those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. This now includes Alaskans 55 and older, as well as people over the age of 16 who are essential workers, who live in multigenerational homes, are considered ‘high risk’ for serious illnesses or live in a community where homes do not have water and sewer systems not.
The eligible group could now sign up for a vaccine appointment, health department officials said in a statement Wednesday morning.
“Although the vaccine supply is limited, we offer it to groups that have been excessively affected by COVID-19, who are at risk of serious illness or death or who are working in essential jobs,” said Dr. Anne Zink, general secretary of state, said. , said in a statement.
The state expects 103 120 doses this month of the vaccine from drug manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna, which includes awards for the Indian health service and a supplementary award in February, officials said.
In addition, Alaska will receive 8,900 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine – which is administered with a single shot – within the next two weeks, according to officials.
“The expansion of the vaccine, which is capable of reaching more people, is important for the protection of Alaskans and for reopening Alaska and growing our economy again,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy in the statement.
Those who are already eligible for a vaccine include most health workers, people 65 and older, people living and working in congregations, some responding to pandemics and people 50 and older who are at high risk medical condition or work in an essential job.
Health officials said in the statement that the new group eligible Alaskans include “anyone who has a medical condition that puts a person at ‘high risk’ or ‘high risk’ for serious COVID-19 diseases, according to the CDC, or considered by a person’s medical provider to be a high risk. ”
According to the lists of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women, smokers, people diagnosed with cancer, individuals with moderate to severe asthma, obese and overweight individuals and those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes – among a series of other medical medicines. conditions – are now eligible for the vaccine.
A provider of someone could also recommend someone to be vaccinated, Zink told reporters on Wednesday, meaning someone with a drug use disorder or mental retardation that could put them at risk for a COVID-19 infection could be eligible come.
Essential workers over the age of 16 are defined by a broad list of the Federal Agency for Cyber Security and Infrastructure and are included in the new fitness group. That means not just frontline workers, but “any” essential workers, Zink said.
The federal essential workers list is broad, and includes workers in law enforcement, food service, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, repair and maintenance, transportation and communications, as well as workers who supply personal and household goods. This list also applies to clergy, weather forecasters and those who work within the legal system, among others.
Newly eligible are people living in multigenerational households, including households with three or more generations or ‘generations that have been skipped’, such as a grandchild living with a parent, officials said in the statement.
Unemployed communities are defined as places where many homes do not have water and sewer systems, health officials said.
In Anchorage, Alaskans 40 and older can also be vaccinated by the Southcentral Foundation, the health care organization announced Monday. Southcentral Foundation is a health care organization owned by Alaska Native, which means that it receives its grant from the Indian Health Service and can decide to consider the vaccine, regardless of the levels of the state.
Officials have appealed to those who are eligible to check appointments regularly as more will be added.