(SitNews) Anchorage, Alaska - Governor Mike Dunleavy last week made the move to expand the vaccine eligibility criteria for the state-allocated COVID-19 vaccine significant as part of the process in accelerating Alaska’s recovery and getting the economy back up and running. 

“By giving more Alaskans the opportunity to get vaccinated, the faster we can get Alaskan business thriving again,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “This is the jump start to get our economy going again.”

Alaska continues to lead the nation in vaccinations. 

The newly eligible group, Phase 1c, will include persons ages 55-64 years, plus persons ages 16 and above who are essential workers as defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), or who have certain medical conditions, or who live in multigenerational households or in communities with limited plumbing. 

This newly expanded group will include 103,000 essential workers who work in fields such as education, food production and agriculture, manufacturing, public transit, grocery stores, transportation and logistics, food service, shelter and housing, finance, IT and communication, energy, media, legal, public safety, law enforcement, water and wastewater or with the U.S. Postal Service. 

Those newly eligible can now sign up for an open vaccine appointment in their community.

The newly eligible group, Phase 1c, includes:

• Persons aged 55–64 years
• Persons aged 16 and above who:
  1. Are essential workers as defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) OR 
  2. Are “high-risk” or “might be high-risk” for severe COVID-19 illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or their provider OR 
  3. Live in a multigenerational household OR
  4. Live in “unserved communities” 

What qualifies as a medical condition is now expanded in Phase 1c to include anyone who has a medical condition that places a person at “high-risk” or “might be high-risk” for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC, or who is considered high-risk by a person’s medical provider.

Essential workers are those identified under the CISA definition.

Alaskans who were previously eligible (Phase 1a and 1b) can continue to get immunized against COVID-19 if they have not already done so. 

People can learn more at covidvax.alaska.gov, or call 1-907-646-3322 from 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

Edited By Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy
www.gov.alaska.gov

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services
www.dhss.alaska.gov

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