Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2020, during an event on the Rolling Back Regulations to help all Americans in the southern turf at the White House on July 16 in Washington dc.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
On Tuesday, Alaska became the first state to make vaccines for Covid available to anyone 16 years of age or older who works or lives in the state, effectively immediately.
“This historic step is another national novelty in Alaska,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement, adding that “I couldn’t be more proud” of Alaska’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Alaska Passage occurs as other states implement vaccines in higher-risk populations such as the elderly, front-line workers, and those with underlying medical conditions.
The state health department has reported a cumulative total of 57,304 cases of residents, 2,461 cases of non-residents and 301 deaths.
Alaska began administering shootings to health workers and nursing home residents in December before gradually expanding eligibility by phases.
The state says it has so far administered more than 290,000 doses with at least 119,000 people completely vaccinated. This means that approximately 23.6% of the population of Alaska has received at least one dose and 16.4% have been completely vaccinated, according to the state vaccination board.
The governor’s office noted that some regions are already approaching 90% of vaccination rates among seniors.
“A healthy community means a healthy economy. With the widespread vaccines available to all Alaskans living or working here, we will certainly see our economy grow and our businesses thrive,” Dunleavy said.