The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) reports six new residents in the Juneau community identified with COVID-19 for November 23. According to Juneau Public Health, there are about 48 active cases. Of those, about 11 are minors under 18, and three are adults over 60. The majority of case activity is currently in individuals in their 20s and 30s.

The Juneau School District reports two new individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and were infectious while in school:

• One at Harborview Elementary School (reported late November 22)
• One at Auke Bay Elementary School

Please note: Entire classrooms are no longer being quarantined. Instead, the availability of at-home, rapid antigen COVID-19 tests now provides unvaccinated close contacts with two options: test daily to stay in school or quarantine. COVID-19 cases related to schools are posted on juneauschools.org (click on the green “COVID-19 Cases” block).

Statewide, DHSS reports 152 new people identified with COVID-19 – 147 are residents and five are nonresidents. The state also reports two recent deaths bringing the total number of resident deaths to 834:

• Male Anchorage resident in his 60s
• Female Anchorage resident in her 70s

Alaska has had 143,598 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 5,376 nonresidents.

Juneau vaccine update:

• 76.5 percent of the total population of Juneau has received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 70.1 percent has completed the vaccine series.
• 95 percent of the population in Juneau age 65+ has received at least one dose of vaccine and 92 percent has completed the vaccine series.

For more information, read CBJ’s Emergency Operations Center Reports here.

The City and Borough of Juneau – in partnership with Juneau Public Health Center, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau School District, local pediatricians, and other community organizations – is hosting free pediatric Pfizer vaccine clinics for all Juneau youth ages 5-11 on Monday, November 29; Tuesday, November 30; and Saturday, December 4. Register your 5-11 year-old now at juneau.org/vaccine or 586-6000.

Pediatric vaccine clinics are on:

• Monday, November 29, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Marie Drake Building
• Monday, November 29, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Floyd Dryden Middle School
• Tuesday, November 30, 3:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. at Mendenhall River Community School
• Tuesday, November 30, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School
• Saturday, December 4, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Riverbend Elementary School

The Pfizer pediatric vaccine requires two doses administered three weeks apart. This clinic is for first doses and second doses. If your kid needs a first dose, register at juneau.org/vaccine or 586-6000. If you’ve already registered your child for their second dose, there’s no need to register again. If you haven’t though, do make an appointment at juneau.org/vaccine or 586-6000.

Please note the following:

• Youth ages 5-11 must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian or a caregiver. If a parent/legal guardian isn’t able to be there, a caregiver is required to bring a printed and completed parent permission form to the clinic appointment.
• Possible side effects from the pediatric vaccine include pain, redness, and swelling on the arm where your child got the shot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea throughout the rest of their body. These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects and severe allergic reactions are rare.
• If your child has a reaction from the vaccine and feels sick, please keep your child home from school. In this situation, your child does not need a negative COVID-19 test to return to school. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children from this CDC webpage or this Alaska Health and Social Services information sheet.

For more information, call 586-6000 or email [email protected].

Starting Tuesday, November 23, the Juneau Public Health Center is offering COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5 and up Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December 30, excluding holidays. Make an appointment on juneau.org/vaccine, call 586-6000, or simply walk in.

The following COVID-19 vaccinations are available every weekday at Juneau Public Health Center, 3412 Glacier Highway:

• Pediatric Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11
• Adult Pfizer vaccine for ages 12 and up
• Pfizer booster for ages 18 and up
• Johnson & Johnson vaccine or booster for ages 18 and up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last Friday expanded eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots to all adults. People age 18 years and older who received Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may get a booster six months after completion of their primary vaccination series.

If you initially received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, you can get a Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson booster 6 months or more after the initial series. If you initially received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you can get a Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson booster 2 months or more after the initial vaccine.

For more information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, go to juneau.org/vaccine or call 586-6000.