(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Ketchikan Mayor Rodney Dial is sponsoring a resolution for the Borough Assembly to consider at Monday night’s meeting that will support the protection of individual civil rights relative to COVID-19 vaccinations.

Mayor Dial is requesting the Assembly to support his proposed resolution which calls on merchants and service providers to refrain from discriminating against any individual by denying that person access to goods or services based upon their COVID-19 vaccination status or failure to provide that information.

According to the CDC, individuals should receive a wallet-sized vaccination card or printout that tells the specific COVID-19 vaccine they received, the date they received it, and where they received it. The CDC is not recommending or requiring that vaccination cards be presented publicly on demand for access to services.

According to the CDC, individuals should receive a wallet-sized vaccination card or printout that tells the specific COVID-19 vaccine they received, the date they received it, and where they received it.

The purpose of the cards, according to the CDC, is to ensure individuals are aware of the name of the vaccine they received in order the same vaccine is followed up 3 weeks later. Vaccines from different manufactures can not be mixed. Individuals will need 2 doses of the currently available COVID-19 vaccine. A second shot 3 weeks after the first shot is needed to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer against this serious disease. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is not interchangeable with other COVID-19 vaccine products, according to the CDC, safety and efficacy of a mixed series has not been evaluated.

When you receive your first shot, the following information will be on the coronavirus vaccination card.

• First and last name
• Date of birth
• Your patient number
• The vaccine you received -- either Moderna or Pfizer
• The date you received the first and second vaccine
• Where you were vaccinated... for example, a hospital or clinic

Immunization cards & Civil Liberties Issues:

In the summary of the issue of protecting individual civil rights relative to COVID-19 vaccinations for the Ketchikan Borough Assembly's consideration, Mayor Dial wrote:

“The United States of America was founded on the principles of liberty, justice, and the primacy of individual freedoms endowed by our Creator. These fundamental protections are enshrined in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, and are likewise explicitly protected in the Alaskan Constitution wherein it recognizes and protects some of these freedoms in Article I, Section 22 by stating: “The right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed.

Our community remains in the throes of an unprecedented pandemic due to the COVID-19 virus. In addressing the public health threats throughout much of 2020, our local community has, unlike many municipalities across the country, largely successfully managed the pandemic without the need to direct and prohibit citizen actions by government mandate. Instead, the greater Ketchikan community has followed the guidance of our local EOC, state mandate requirements, and CDC guidance to contain and control the spread of the virus. This approach has featured heightened requirements for travel on commercial carriers, but has not included broad governmental mandates regarding curfew, the right to assemble, and the requirement to wear masks and other PPE. Much of the community’s success in combating the pandemic has been through recommendations, public education, and requests for citizen support for various measures designed to stem the spread of the disease. The civil liberties of our citizens have continually weighed heavily on the minds of public officials and emergency management teams.

With the federal regulators hurrying the processing of approvals for COVID-19 vaccine usage, we soon stand to face another challenge to find a balance between combating the pandemic and protecting the civil liberties of the citizens. Some communities may try to mandate vaccination as the vaccine becomes more broadly available. Others will limit the ability of citizens to exercise certain fundamental rights unless the citizens submit through compulsion to be vaccinated, or equally onerous, provide evidence of private information confirming they have chosen to submit to the medical treatment. Many will see these as worthy and measurably the small surrenders of fundamental constitutional rights necessary to protect public health. Many others will recognize that small sacrifices of liberties are in certain respects a trade of freedom for security, an exchange not made without full and conscious recognition of the costs to those constitutional principles we hold dear as a community and as a nation.

In facing the coming challenge posed by broad availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, the imperative of the moment will seem paramount. The fear and loss associated with what COVID-19 has brought to 2020 is never more apparent. Nevertheless, as public officials, the resolution sponsors feel it is equally imperative to, in the course of determining ongoing public response to COVID-19, weigh in on the side of our constitutional rights. This is done by offering a reminder and an urging to merchants and service providers that decisions to require fellow citizens to surrender fundamental rights in exchange for access to essential good and services should be disfavored by all of us who enjoy the freedoms offered in this constitutional republic. We should be able to collectively agree that the pandemic must be defeated, but that the prices we pay in order to do that must be decided in a conscious and thoughtful way.

As drafted, this resolution does not deny any entity from “asking” private information of a citizen or even offering incentives to provide the information voluntarily. Nor does the Resolution offer direction to or impose requirements on public institutions such as schools or workplace/employee requirements. Those are matters to be addressed by the State and Federal legislative bodies, and perhaps the courts to determine. It is the belief of the sponsor(s) that this Resolution is necessary, timely, and the concern valid as some businesses have already indicated that they will require COVID-19 vaccination by customers utilizing their service in the future.

As elected officials it is our duty to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens we serve and this resolution is a means to affirm that charge. I urge your support."

COVID-19 Vaccine Shipment Received in Ketchikan:

The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine was received in Ketchikan Wednesday. This first shipment is intended for Public Health nurses and Emergency Medical Service Providers according to the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

The vaccine was picked up this Wednesday morning and taken to the Public Health Clinic. Vaccines for EMS and health care providers will be scheduled in upcoming days according to the EOC.

Because the current supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States is limited, CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine be offered to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.

According to the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Vaccines in Alaska will first be available to:

• Hospital-based front-line health care workers at highest risk for COVID-19 infection 
• Long-term care facility residents and staff (defined to include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living homes, and Department of Corrections infirmaries providing care that is similar to assisted living) 
• EMS and fire personnel providing medical services 
• Community Health Aides/Practitioners 
• Individuals who are required to perform vaccinations 

CDC defines Healthcare personnel as paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Long-term care facility residents are defined as adults who reside in facilities that provide a variety of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently.

According to the CDC, the goal is for everyone to be able to easily get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as large enough quantities are available. Once vaccine is widely available, the plan is to have several thousand vaccination providers offering COVID-19 vaccines in doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers.

The side effects from COVID-19 vaccination may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Learn more about what side effects to expect and get helpful tips on how to reduce pain and discomfort after your vaccination.

Hospital-based frontline health care workers were the Alaskans to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.

Distribution and delivery of the December allocation of 31,500 doses of Pfizer vaccine is also continuing in Alaska to the six hospitals who ordered the vaccine directly from Pfizer through the State of Alaska’s Immunization Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Unfortunately, Alaska also saw a presumed adverse reaction to the vaccine. A health care worker in Juneau who has no history of allergies had an anaphylactic reaction that included flushing and shortness of breath 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at a clinic at Bartlett Hospital. The symptoms were discovered during the 15-minute observation period recommended by the CDC.

The worker took Benadryl after the symptoms began and when they did not resolve, the worker was admitted to the Emergency Department at Bartlett in Juneau. The patient was administered Pepcid, Benadryl and epinephrine through intravenous drip and was kept overnight. The patient is in stable condition but is still in the hospital being monitored. 

“We expected that a side effect like this could occur after reports of anaphylaxis were made in England after people there received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,” said Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink. “All sites that are approved to provide vaccinations in Alaska must have medications on hand to deal with an allergic reaction and that was the case in Juneau.” 

This incident was reported to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database. The State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has been in close communication with the CDC, and the agency is providing guidance and support.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday said people who have experienced severe reactions to prior vaccines or injectable drugs can still get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19, but should discuss the risks with their doctors and be monitored for 30 minutes afterward. The guidance is a shift from a prior proposal laid out Saturday that would have recommended against vaccination for this group of people. 

The CDC recommends pregnant women be able to choose if they will take the vaccine as no pregnant women were included in the study.

On the Horizon Mandatory Face Masks And Civil Liberties Issues:

Some Alaska lawmakers are urging a statewide mask requirement to fight COVID as vaccine distribution expected to take months in Alaska. The request was made in a letter to Governor Michael Dunleavy by the Alaska House Majority Coalition led by Democrats. Among the lawmakers making this request is Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan). This group of state representatives led by Representative Adam Wool (D-Fairbanks) sent a letter urging Gov. Mike Dunleavy to follow the advice of public health officials in his own administration, across the state, and around the country and implement a statewide mandate.

“Every day we see that case counts of COVID are increasing across the state. Mortalities from COVID on the national level are setting records, and hospital capacity is starting to be maxed out,” the lawmakers wrote. “More than half the state’s population is under a mask mandate due to the responsible action of municipal leaders. However, much of the state does not have this capability. In Fairbanks, our borough does not have health powers and our city mayor refuses to enact a mandate.”

Joining Representative Wool in signing the letter were Representatives Harriet Drummond (D-Anchorage), Sara Hannan (D-Juneau), Grier Hopkins (D-Fairbanks), Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka), Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan), Ivy Spohnholz (D-Anchorage), Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage), Tiffany Zulkosky (D-Bethel), and Representative-elect Liz Snyder (D-Anchorage).

Upcoming Event Vaccine Discussion

The Ketchikan EOC is hosting a Covid-19 Vaccine Discussion through a Facebook Live Event on Friday, December 18, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. The Facebook Live Event will be accessible through the City of Ketchikan Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cityofketchikanalaska

The discussion will also be broadcast through KPU Channel 675.

The panelists for the discussion will be:

Timothy Horton, MD, FAAP, FPHM, Staff Pediatrician PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center
Theresa Ruzek, PHN IV, Ketchikan Public Health Nurse
Abner Hoage, Ketchikan EOC Incident Commander

The panelists will provide information on the science of the vaccine as well as distribution of the vaccine in Ketchikan.

Submit your questions to: covidquestions@kgbak.us or call 228-2464. Questions received by noon on December 17 will be included in the panel discussion. Additional questions will be taken from the Facebook Live feed.

Upcoming Ketchikan EOC Discussions:

December 22, 5:30 p.m.:  Coping During Covid: Managing Stress and Strengthening Families Panelists will include: Samantha Funk, Mental Health Counselor, WISH; JoNell Wallace, Schoenbar Counselor, KGBSD; Jordan Tabb, LCSW, Community Connections; and Dustin Larna, CFO-COO, Residential Youth Care (RYC). 

January 5, 5:30 p.m.:  Coping During Covid: Building Resiliency and Strengthening Community - Panelists will include: Romanda Simpson, Executive Director, KWC; Derek Meister, Psychologist, KGBSD; and either Carolyn Eckholm, LCSW or Brittany Pope, LPC, of Ketchikan Indian Community. 

Assembly Meeting Information:

The Ketchikan Borough Assembly will hold a regular meeting on Monday - December 21, 2020 and is scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM.

The meeting will be conducted in a modified format due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and will not be physically open to the public. Citizens may access the live meeting via Webex; local KPU television; or live webstream at www.kgbak.us/meeting.videos.

The meeting will be held through the Webex online videoconference platform. The Webex app can be installed on your iPad, smart phone or computer.

The WebEx Meeting Number is: 126 482 1686; Password: SocialDistance6.

To download the agenda and detailed information packets click here...

 

On the Web:

Information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Alaska
http://covidvax.alaska.gov

Alaska Health Orders
 www.covid19.alaska.gov. 

Current information on the response to COVID-19 in Ketchikan, including Community Risk Level indicator data
www.kgbak.us/covid19.  

 

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