The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) reports 10 new residents in the Juneau community identified with COVID-19 for November 2. There are currently four people with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

According to Juneau Public Health:

• There are 130 active cases. Of those, 47 cases are from individuals age 18 or under and 31 cases are from individuals under 12.
• There continues to be one ongoing cluster in kids.
• Several workplaces with a few cases but most spread is within households and between friends and family.
• Majority of Juneau cases are in people under age 50 with only 16 cases in those age 50 or older.

Statewide, DHSS reports 499 new people identified with COVID-19 – 494 are residents and five are nonresidents. The state also reports six recent deaths bringing the total number of resident deaths to 708:

• a male Anchorage resident in his 60s
• a female Anchorage resident in her 30s
• a female Anchorage resident in her 80s
• a female Anchorage resident in her 20s
• a female Anchorage resident in her 50s
• a female Kenai Peninsula South resident in her 70s

Alaska has had 134,658 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 5,267 nonresidents.

Juneau vaccine update:

• 73.2 percent of the total population of Juneau has received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 69.5 percent has completed the vaccine series.
• 94.8 percent of the population in Juneau age 65+ has received at least one dose of vaccine and 91.3 percent has completed the vaccine series.

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

In anticipation of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommending the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine for youth ages 5-11, several vaccine clinics are scheduled for next week with registration opening as early as Thursday. 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 planning to host free pediatric vaccine clinics for all Juneau youth ages 5-11 on November 8, 9, and 11. Pending CDC approval, families can sign up to have their child vaccinated at a clinic starting Thursday, November 4 at noon on juneau.org/vaccine or at 907-586-6000.

Pediatric vaccine clinics are planned for:

• Monday, November 8, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Marie Drake Building
• Monday, November 8, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Floyd Dryden Middle School
• Tuesday, November 9, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Mendenhall River Community School
• Tuesday, November 9, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School
• Thursday, November 11, 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Riverbend Elementary School

Any child in Juneau age 5 to 11 – the child does not have to be enrolled in the Juneau School District – is welcome to get a vaccine at these clinics and may attend whichever one is most convenient. Youth must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Nurses and pediatricians will be at the clinics administering vaccinations. Capital City Fire/Rescue will help monitor students after their shot for any potential reactions. Flu vaccine will also be available, as an add-on, for parents who would like their child to receive a flu shot at the same time.

Juneau has approximately 2,700 children aged 5-11. CBJ anticipates receiving about 1,200 Pfizer doses from the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services for these clinics. Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine will also be available through SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), some local pharmacies, and the Juneau Public Health Center. CBJ expects there will be sufficient supply for a first dose for every child whose parent desires vaccination in the first half of November.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine to include children 5 to 11. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is set to meet November 2-3 to discuss whether to recommend the vaccine to that age group. The pediatric vaccine clinics are pending CDC adopting the committee’s recommendation.

For more information, contact Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander/CBJ Deputy City Manager Robert Barr at 586-5240 or [email protected], or email [email protected].

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week officially endorsed booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for certain populations. Pfizer boosters were already endorsed last month.

For individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot 6 months or more after their initial series:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work in high-risk settings, like first responders (e.g., healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff); education staff (e.g., teachers, support staff, daycare workers); food and agriculture workers; manufacturing workers; corrections workers; U.S. Postal Service workers; public transit workers; grocery store workers
• Age 18+ who live in high-risk settings

For individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are recommended for those who are 18 and older, and who were vaccinated two or more months ago. There are no other eligibility requirements.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type they originally received while others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. That means:

• Eligible individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can get a booster dose of Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson 6 months after their initial vaccine series.
• Individuals ages 18 and up who received a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine can get a booster dose of Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson 2 months after their initial dose.

For more information, email [email protected].

Children in Juneau ages 5 to 11 may be able to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in early November, pending approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The City and Borough of Juneau – in partnership with Juneau Public Health Center, Bartlett Regional Hospital, local pediatricians, and other community organizations – is planning to host free pediatric vaccine clinics the week of November 8. Registration for these clinics could open as early as Tuesday, November 2.

Juneau has approximately 2,700 children aged 5-11. CBJ anticipates receiving about 1,200 Pfizer doses from the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services for this first round of clinics. Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine will also be available through SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), some local pharmacies, and the Juneau Public Health Center.

The FDA meeting that will start the approval process to allow using Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26. You can watch the meeting here. Following the FDA meeting, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to meet on November 2 and 3 to conclude the approval process.

The pediatric vaccine clinics will be located at Juneau schools, though the specific school buildings, dates, and times are still being finalized. When those details are confirmed, CBJ will notify the public. Again, appointment scheduling for pediatric COVID-19 vaccine may be available as early as Tuesday, November 2 for clinics taking place the week of November 8.

For more information, contact Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander/CBJ Deputy City Manager Robert Barr at 586-5240 or [email protected], or email [email protected].