General News
Published January 11, 2021
Communication sent on January 5, 2021
The state of Alaska has made the decision to begin providing vaccines to residents 65 years of age and older starting Monday, January 11. While the CDC recently updated their Phase 1b guidelines, each state has the authority to modify those guidelines; Alaska has chosen to modify and begin Phase 1b starting Monday. Alaskans age 65 and older can start making appointments through the state’s site on January 6 at covidvax.alaska.gov. NOTE that not all providers will be administering the vaccine, so it’s important that people use the state’s appointment site to guarantee they’re receiving the correct vaccine.
The cost of the vaccine itself is covered by the federal government. The cost for administering the vaccine will be covered by insurance. The range of administrative fee reimbursements for Premera contracted providers varies depending on specific contracts with each provider and is billed per dose.
We have confidence in the safety and efficacy of these vaccines for the general population for which they are approved. The FDA has issued guidance for individuals that may have a reaction to the vaccine; we recommend people check with their provider if they have questions about getting the vaccine.
We’ve created a Frequently Asked Questions on our website to guide you through some of the common questions and basic information about the vaccine and the virus. Continue to check our FAQs, as we typically update our FAQs by Thursday afternoon each week when new information is available.
We’ll continue to reach out to you directly with updated information in the coming months. You can also visit the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services website for more information on vaccine availability across the state.