Alaskan seniors will be able to receive their first COVID-19 vaccines next Monday, after state health officials advance the original schedule.
The Alaskan Department of Health and Social Services announced on Monday that the state’s vaccination task force made the decision “after assessing the amount of vaccine to be administered,” the agency said in a written statement.
State officials now say people aged 65 and over can schedule appointments from noon on Wednesday by visiting the state’s vaccine website. People who schedule a meeting are asked to choose a date on Jan. 11 or later, officials say. Appointments will begin on Monday.
Also on Saturday, state officials said people in that group would have to wait until the end of this month to be vaccinated.
Like states across the country, Alaska had to prioritize vaccine distribution due to limited stock.
Alaska received more than 60,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by both Pfizer and Moderna last month and expects almost 53,000 more doses this month. As of Monday morning, 18,266 people had received the first of two doses on Monday. State officials said last week that they expect the pace to pick up this month.
At the moment, generally, only people who work in healthcare settings are eligible for this vaccination phase, at least those administered by the state. There are other criteria for tribal members, as well as for people served by the military or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
A state allocation committee last week decided to make people 65 and older the next phase of recipients. Several elderly people over the weekend reported a confusing scenario in which they were able to schedule vaccinations, but later realized they were not yet eligible.
State officials said on Monday that people who have already made appointments do not need to cancel them, but only if they are in the eligible groups (Phase 1A and Phase 1B, Level 1): health professionals or people aged 65 and over. People who are not in these groups are asked to cancel their appointments.
New appointments will be added as more providers sign up and more vaccine is available, officials say.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.