Several industry sectors and groups, including teachers, are appealing to government officials to qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine, although it has become clear that the Alaska grant for the month has almost been used.
During a hearing Monday, several educators and the president of the Anchorage Teachers’ Union urged the state’s vaccine committee to move teachers to ‘immediate’ vaccine status before personal learning for K-2 and special education classes to sixth in Anchorage start. School district in about a week.
Representatives of the trucking and shipping industry in the state asked to be bumped as well. Warehouses and truck drivers in the Lower 48 area are seeing staff reductions of 20% to 25% due to the effects of the virus, Mats Donyfus, vice president of Matson, told the committee during the hearing, via Zoom.
“It will have a huge impact on the supply chain in Alaska,” Dreyfus said.
But one provider begged the state not to add more groups at all until more vaccine became available.
Mat-Su Health Services, a community health organization, was forced to hire temporary workers and work 60-hour weeks to keep up with callers, some of whom are in tears because they have no internet or computer skills, says Victoria program coordinator. Knapp testified and called the deployment a disaster.
“For the state to open another group soon, we will withdraw from the program,” Knapp said.
The state’s vaccination program began in mid-December with leading hospital workers and long-term care centers. It has spread to other health professionals.
The deployment hit a series of public brackets after the state became eligible for Alaskans 65 and more than a few weeks ahead of schedule following slower-than-expected interest from some health workers.
Officials say they knew they did not have enough doses to vaccinate the estimated 90,000 Alaska in the senior age group, but wanted to make sure nothing was wasted.
It can take a month and a half just to get vaccinations at the 65-year-old group.
The next approved group consists of prison residents, correctional officers and residents of homeless shelters, as well as ‘essential workers’ 50 and older, including teachers, emergencies and workers in the seafood industry.
The State Vaccine Advisory Committee held its hearing on Monday to comment on the next level. The state proposes that the category include people between 16 and 49 with high-risk medical conditions, as well as additional essential workers.
A previous committee meeting in late December drew more than 500 comments. Since then, the state has received more than 500 additional comments.
More than 20 people commented live on Monday afternoon, including staff and volunteers at senior centers and people with developmental disabilities who do not live in homes where vaccination is already available.
There are also requests to prioritize electrical utilities, people with type 1 diabetes and library workers, and to correct the next level for Alaska University instructors, staff and student teachers as well as students in community housing and factory workers from the University of Alaska To include Fairbanks.
Alaska health officials say the state ranks fourth in the country for per capita vaccinations, but still has’ incredibly limited amounts of vaccine.
Alaska received a total of 114,800 doses of the vaccine from the federal government for December and January: 62,400 doses manufactured by Pfizer, which requires ultra-cold storage, and 52,4000 manufactured by Moderna Inc. It does not include federal military and veteran awards. .
Nearly all of these doses are already being talked about – before the month is even half over, health officials said during a briefing on Monday.
“We pretty much awarded all our vaccinations for January,” said Tessa Walker Linderman, co-leader of Alaska’s vaccinations task force.
Basically, officials say, there is currently just not enough vaccine to go around, although they are reporting more and more providers wanting to give the shots.
That doesn’t mean vaccines are no longer administered, officials say. Some are set aside for long-term care centers, and others are intended for communities that have not yet been able to get them due to bad weather.
Some are also committed to large-scale vaccination clinics that just haven’t happened yet. An ongoing clinic at Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage ends Tuesday, when another clinic in Mat-Su opens at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Other clinics are planned for Juneau, Fairbanks and Homer.
A state panel board showed that just over 29,000 people received the first doses needed to be vaccinated against the virus, which killed more than 220 Alaskans, most of whom are over 60 years old. gave.
The vaccine advisory committee will meet on Tuesday to review the comments made before and during Monday’s hearing before making any recommendations.
Government officials encouraged patience with a process that they admit could be greatly improved.
Dr Anne Zink, the state medical officer, said officials do not yet know how much vaccination they can get for February.
Federal officials said they could send additional supplies at any time. Elected President Joe Biden said last week he plans to release the most available doses for the coronavirus vaccine.
But given the delicate storage requirements and other complications of vaccine distribution, Zink said she does not expect the situation to suddenly change on January 20 when Biden is sworn in.
“We just do not have much vaccine in the state,” she said, addressing the teacher’s requests. “I wish we had more and we’d like to get it out as soon as possible.”
For more information on vaccinations, the public can go to covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. Officials say calls should be returned within a day, though some users wait much longer than that.