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You'll Soon Be Able To Sign Up For A COVID -19 Booster Shot From YKHC

A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccine.
Loren Holmes
/
ADN

The general population will soon be able to sign up for COVID-19 booster shots from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. Chief of Staff Dr. Ellen Hodges said that an online form to request a booster shot will likely be available in a few days. She encourages everyone to get a flu shot as well.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement saying that it’s prepared to offer booster shots beginning Sept. 20. The booster doses will be available eight months after an individual’s second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The administration expects to also offer booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

YKHC began administering its first COVID-19 vaccines to Y-K Elder’s Home residents and health care workers on Dec. 17, 2020. It opened vaccinations to the general population on Jan. 19, 2021.

Hodges encourages people to request a booster shot when YKHC updates its online form. The health corporation will then begin scheduling appointments. 

“This is especially important for people in villages so we know how much vaccine we need to ship to villages for people who wish to have that booster dose,” Hodges said.

YKHC is already administering COVID-19 booster shots to people with suppressed immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance on which conditions meet these criteria. Hodges said that if you are immunocompromised and have not been contacted by YKHC about a booster dose, call your village health clinic or the COVID-19 hotline at 907-543-6949 to schedule a shot.

YKHC is encouraging everyone to get a flu shot when getting their booster COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have limited hospital capacity. We really cannot handle a large influenza outbreak, and we’re going to need people to go ahead and get that flu shot,” Hodges said.

The CDC recommends flu shots for everyone age 6 months and older. It advises that people can receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccines on the same day.

Anna Rose MacArthur served as KYUK's News Director from 2015-2022.
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