https://www.facebook.com/cbjuneau/videos/537854027479996
Update — 6:34 p.m.
Many people in Juneau have questions about the third dose of the vaccine that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently approved for immunocompromised people.
Dr. Lisa Rabinowitz with the state health department visited Juneau’s COVID-19 community update with some answers.
First, she said a booster shot and the third dose of the vaccine are different. A booster shot is a third dose available to the larger public because initial immunity from the vaccine has declined.
“If we start to see immunity waning in a group, that’s when boosters will be considered,” she said.
These booster shots are not federally approved just yet.
The third dose of the vaccine that the FDA and CDC approved last week is specifically available to moderately to severely immunocompromised people.
“Many of these individuals with the third dose, or additional dose, will have a bump in their immunity,” Rabinowitz said.
Health officials consider this dose part of their first vaccination series because they may not have gotten full immunity from the vaccine.
- People receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- People with an organ transplant and taking immunosuppressants
- People with a stem cell transplant from the last 2 years OR are taking immunosuppressants
- People with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency diseases
- People with advanced or untreated HIV infection
- And people who are actively being treated with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune responses
Rabinowitz said that anyone with questions on eligibility for a third dose should talk to a healthcare provider.
Proof from a doctor is not needed to get the third dose, you just need to attest that you are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
“And really, that’s so we can decrease barriers to these individuals getting that extra protection that they need,” she said.
She said the state is making plans in case a booster shot does become available. But the focus right now is getting unvaccinated people vaccinated and getting a third dose of the vaccine to that immunocompromised group.
Original story
Juneau officials are holding a COVID-19 community update at 4 p.m. today over Zoom.
Generally, they use this time to give an update on the city’s latest response to the pandemic and answer community questions. Today, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink will join to give a presentation and answer questions.
To watch the community update, you can stream it through this post, participate online, call 1-253-215-8782 with webinar ID 985 6308 5159 or watch on Facebook Live.
City officials reported 34 new COVID-19 cases in Juneau today. There are currently 144 active cases.
From August 2 – 15, Juneau officials reported 204 cases and two deaths. About 62% of those were unvaccinated people and 38% were breakthrough cases — fully-vaccinated people who contracted COVID-19.
Masks are currently required indoors in Juneau. This follows the CDC’s recommendation for people to wear a mask inside in areas of substantial or high transmission.
