Vaccines administered on central peninsula

Rounding out a week that started with the delivery of 35,100 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was the inoculation of people on the peninsula ranging from fire fighters to health care workers to pharmacists.

The first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Central Peninsula Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, where a pharmacy technician stood ready to move them into an ultra-cold freezer and a window full of health care workers waited for the delivery.

In total, one tray, containing 975 doses, of the vaccine were delivered to CPH, said CPH External Affairs Director Bruce Richards. As a “mini depot,” CPH kept 540 of the doses for its own use and distributed the rest to other groups who have been given highest priority, such as emergency medical services.

Early Friday afternoon, staff at Central Emergency Services (CES) in Soldotna waited for their turn to sit in the metal folding chair in front of the fire engine, where Senior EMS Captain Harrison Deveer stood waiting to inoculate them.

CES Fire Chief Roy Browning went first, pulling his uniform sleeve up and giving a big thumbs-up as the Deveer administered the shot. Browning said the arrival of the vaccine has received “mixed” responses from CES staff.

One of the biggest benefits of being able to have staff vaccinated, Browning said, will be being able to have shifts fully staffed. Staffing issues are not unique to CES, however.

On the same day across town, the first vaccines were administered to health care workers and long-term care residents at CPH.

CPH has also experienced a strain on staffing due to mandatory quarantines required if workers contract COVID-19 or identified as a close contact. At one point, 87 of CPH’s total staff of around 1,000 were out on quarantine. That number had dropped to 23 by Friday.

Richards said that CPH was able to vaccinate 112 people on Friday, including 11 residents and 17 staff at Heritage Place Skilled Nursing facility, where more than half of all residents have tested positive. The first vaccine at CPH was administered by Rachel Verba, RN, to Dr. Chris Michelson, MD.

Also on Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for their COVID-19 vaccine, which, like Pfizer’s, has an efficacy rate of more than 90%. Vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use Authorization cannot be mandated by government entities or by private businesses.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be fully effective. Pfizer’s doses must be administered 21 days apart, while Moderna’s doses must be administered 28 days apart.

As of Dec. 17, 2,085 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine had been administered in Alaska, according to DHSS.

More information about Alaska’s vaccine distribution can be found on the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service’s website at covidvax.alaska.gov.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.