State determines who gets first doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Juneau’s first shipment of 975 doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived Tuesday, December 15, and is currently in the process of being administered. Because initial vaccine supply is limited, vaccine is first available to hospital-based front-line healthcare workers at highest risk for COVID-19 infection, long-term care facility residents and staff, EMS/fire personnel providing emergency medical services, Community Health Aide/Practitioners, and individuals who are required to perform vaccinations. In Juneau, that includes staff at Bartlett Regional Hospital, Capital City/Fire Rescue, residents and staff at the Juneau Pioneer Home, Wildflower Court, and other long-term care/assisted living facilities.

Determinations for vaccine allocation are made by the State of Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Committee and are informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Locally, the Juneau COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force is organizing the distribution of the vaccine in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. That group is comprised of the Alaska Division of Public Health, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Capital City Fire/Rescue, and City and Borough of Juneau.

With regular shipments of vaccine moving forward, the vaccine will be made more available and the Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Committee will continue to identify additional groups to receive vaccination. Once that happens, the Juneau COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force will outreach to those groups and organizations on next steps. The process will be structured and transparent. Eventually, in the months to come, all Alaskans who wish to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will have an opportunity to do so.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, go to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services website covidvax.alaska.gov.