What are the odds of winning $ 49,000 in a vaccine draw in Alaska? Should I receive a reminder?

The Alaska coronavirus pandemic is still not over – and we continue to answer your questions. Here, we provide updates on the state’s COVID-19 vaccine draw, other vaccination efforts, recalls, and testing in Anchorage.

Do you have a personal question? Drop it in the form at the bottom of this article.

Has the State’s COVID-19 Vaccine Prize Draw Boost Alaska’s Vaccination Rate? What are the odds of winning $ 49,000?

In response to the increase in cases due to the delta variant and a lagging vaccination rate, the state last month launched a raffle to encourage Alaskans to get vaccinated. Now, a newly vaccinated adult and youth each week through October will receive prizes of $ 49,000 each.

So far, state data shows that after a few weeks of holding, daily vaccinations increased in late September. On October 1, more than 3,000 Alaskans were shot; daily doses through July were less than 1000 on most days. The more recent daily immunization numbers for October appear to reflect a decrease.

As of Friday, 63.7% of eligible Alaskans had received a dose of the vaccine. At the start of this year, the state’s vaccination rate was the highest in the country. Today, Alaska still lags behind the majority of other states and currently ranks 30th in the country.

The role the raffle played in increasing rates is difficult to analyze – other states have seen an increase in vaccinations as cases increase, and cases in Alaska increased dramatically through the end of the summer – but some health officials say they think the raffle program has been effective.

“Thousands of Alaskans get vaccinated every week, and from our perspective, a single hit in the arm is a success,” said Kati Capozzi, Speaker of the Alaska House, in a recent appeal. with journalists. The House administers the program, which is funded by federal funds from the CARES Act.

“We’ve heard anecdotally from pharmacists all over Alaska that there are a lot of people walking into their store saying, ‘I’m here because I want to make $ 49,000,’ so we’re happy with the program. ”Said Capozzi. “We know this motivates Alaskans to get vaccinated. “

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But some Alaskans don’t seem to be aware of the lottery or that they need to register the very week they get shot by visiting a state-set up website, Capozzi said. During the first week of the lottery, around 40% of those vaccinated entered to win. By week two, only 30% of newly vaccinated people entered, and by week three that percentage had fallen to 25%, Capozzi said.

Winners are randomly selected from two age groups: Alaskans 18 and over, who earn money, and those between 12 and 17, who receive $ 49,000 through the Alaska Education Savings Plan. 529, where the money is invested for the education of the child. Parents or guardians of the young winners also receive $ 10,000 in cash if they are vaccinated.

Last week, about 2,520 Alaskans received their first dose of the vaccine, but only 586 people entered to win. The week before, only 693 Alaskans had registered to win. This means that the odds of winning $ 49,000 have been extremely high in recent weeks – around one in 300.

A one-time prize of $ 49,000 will also be awarded to an Alaskan adult and youth who were vaccinated before September 2nd. This group must register by October 30 and will be announced during the last week of the contest.

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Should I get a vaccine booster, and if so, where can I get one?

Booster injections are now available in Alaska, and health officials say those who are eligible should consider receiving an additional injection as a way to further protect themselves against COVID-19.

Eligible Alaskans include those who received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago and also meet one of the following criteria:

• You are 65 years of age or over.

• You are a resident of a long-term care facility or a staff member who works there.

• You are 18 years of age or older and you have an underlying health problem, including asthma, diabetes or obesity.

• You are 18 years of age or older and you work in a high risk environment, including a health care facility, school or grocery store.

Alaskans who fall into these categories – especially the elderly and those with underlying health conditions – “really should get this booster dose” of Pfizer’s vaccine, Chief Medical Officer Dr Anne Zink said this week. from Alaska. Advice for those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine is forthcoming, and Alaskans who initially received these vaccines should wait before receiving a booster.

In August, the FDA also cleared third injections for some immunocompromised people, including those who have received solid organ transplants and others whose immune systems are also weakened.

The recommendation for the booster for high-risk populations was based on some studies which have shown that the effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease over time. Some CDC data showed that for people over 65, protection from hospitalization increased from about 85% to 70% in the past six months for the Pfizer vaccine and from about 90% to 85. % for Moderna vaccine. A recent report from the Alaska Division of Public Health that looked at cases of the virus through August 2021 determined that vaccine discovery cases have become more common in recent months and cited the decrease in the immunity over time as one of the factors.

So far in the state, more than 24,000 people have received a third dose (for immunocompromised people) or booster injection. Boosters are available at most pharmacies, vendor offices, and ongoing immunization clinics in the state, and eligibility won’t need to be proven to get the vaccine, officials said.

Alaskans can visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccine supplier near them, or call the state’s coronavirus helpline, 907-646-3322, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on weekends, to obtain local assistance by making an appointment. Many, but not all, vaccine suppliers in the Anchorage area are also listed on anchoragecovidvaccine.org.

Can I and should I always get a free COVID-19 test in Anchorage?

Anchorage city officials said this week that the municipality was reducing its COVID-19 testing efforts – including reducing testing hours at the site and changing guidelines on who should get tested – due to ‘an increased number of people seeking tests in recent months, and a lack of funds to pay for these tests.

The change came at a time when, according to state and city data, Anchorage is seeing its highest test percentages yielding positive results since the start of the pandemic. About 1 in 10 people tested on Friday received a positive test result.

Testing is an important public health tool, and state health officials continue to recommend that anyone with symptoms of the virus – even very mild ones, such as a runny nose or headache – should get tested. . People who are in close contact with someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the virus should also get tested three to five days after exposure, recommends the CDC.

Anchorage residents can still visit anchoragecovidtest.org daily to find testing times and locations near them.

Although some testing sites on this site now include a note that they should only be used by people with symptoms of COVID-19 or who are close contact with someone who tested positive, a spokesperson for the city ​​health department said the rating is a recommendation, not a requirement, and that no one will be refused to use these locations. Other test sites, such as the one at Alaska Airlines Center or those at Walgreens, do not include this advice.