February 24, 2021 - 3:00 PM
JUNEAU, Alaska - The state is set to receive 60,760 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines for March and an extra 6,070 doses for February, the Alaska health department said Wednesday in also announcing an expansion of those currently eligible to be vaccinated.
Those allocations are in addition to the 32,720 first doses allocated to the federal Indian Health Service for March and a supplemental 3,570 doses for the agency for February, the health department said.
Equal amounts of second doses for the March numbers will be shipped later in the month, the department said.
Alaska has been a leader in the percentage of its residents to have received COVID-19 vaccines, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker.
The state's chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said officials are excited to “ramp up” vaccination efforts with an increase in the number of doses coming into Alaska.
The health department also expanded eligibility for state-allocated vaccine to include people who assist someone 65 and older in getting a vaccine, with those individuals needed to schedule an appointment for the same location and time. Also included are people who stay home to provide healthcare to individuals considered medically fragile.
News from © The Associated Press, 2021