Alaska Faces Vaccine Shortage as COVID Threatens Infants, Teens, and Seniors BY CARLOS MATÍAS
Alaska health authorities warn of a “worrying” delay in the supply of pediatric COVID vaccines, while a new study shows that children and teens are twice as likely to develop long COVID after a second infection, with dire consequences for their health.
“The lack of vaccine supply for children in Alaska is concerning, and I am communicating daily with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) to highlight the importance of access for all Alaskans,” Sarah Aho, manager of the Immunization Program at the Division of Public Health, tells Sol de Medianoche.
“With the unknown timeline for the COVID vaccine arriving through the Immunization Program, some rural clinics are considering purchasing the vaccine privately for their patients,” Sarah Aho adds.
A study published on September 30 shows that coronavirus reinfections “may increase the risk of long-term health consequences and contradicts the idea that becoming infected a second time could lead to a milder outcome.”
Alaska health authorities note that “older adults are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill.” More than 81% of deaths occur in adults over 65, and the number of deaths is 97 times higher than in people aged 18 to 29.
“Their risk of becoming seriously ill increases with underlying medical conditions,” they add. “Some people are at higher risk because of where they live or work, or because of a lack of access to medical care. This includes many people from racial and ethnic minorities, as well as people with disabilities.
Children and adolescents with obesity, diabetes, asthma, chronic lung disease, anemia, or who are immunocompromised may be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19,” says the CDC in Alaska, which recommends that parents keep their children up to date with vaccinations, although “parents of children 6 months to 17 years of age should discuss the benefits of vaccination with a healthcare provider.” Last August was the month with the highest number of COVID cases, with more than a thousand, in contrast to the trend in the rest of the country. The higher numbers in Alaska in August may reflect the flow of more people in and out of the state during the summer, according to Sarah Aho.
