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Alaskans 65 and older will be the next group eligible for early doses of the coronavirus vaccine, state health officials said Thursday.
Once the majority of seniors who want vaccines are able to access them, inmates, correctional officers, and residents of homeless shelters as well as “essential frontline workers” over the age of 50 and more, including teachers, emergency responders and the seafood industry workers whose work is performed on site and in close proximity to the public or colleagues.
After that, according to a list released Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services, the next eligible group will be Alaskans aged 55 to 64, those living in rural communities with access to running water and health facilities is limited, and essential front-line workers in public-service jobs, aged 16 to 50, with at least two high-risk health conditions.
A fourth phase will include people aged 50 and over who have at least two high-risk health conditions, as well as all other essential frontline workers in contact with the public aged 16 to 50.
Read the full “Phase 1B” guidelines here.
The state’s decision to prioritize the elderly for vaccines over frontline workers places Alaska in a small group of states that differ from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention guidelines that place essential workers in. first line in the same group as 75 and over, and before. those 65 and over.
Chief medical officer Dr Anne Zink said Thursday officials in Alaska made the prioritization decision because most of the state’s older residents do not live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, which means other states have already vaccinated a lot in this group. , Alaska did not.
Seniors also account for the vast majority of virus-related deaths and hospitalizations in the state, she said.
It was not immediately clear when the next phase of vaccination will begin. Zink did not immediately announce a timeline, but said seniors would likely start in late January or early February, while additional groups would likely start in March, she said.
Alaska received more than 60,000 doses in December. Officials this week said they expected another 52,900 next month. To date, 13,271 people have been vaccinated.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
Read the latest state allocation plan:
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