Second COVID-19 booster shots are now available for some Alaskans. The new booster authorization comes as BA.2, a subvariant of omicron, spreads throughout the state and country.
In an interview Thursday, Rabinowitz said the state has an adequate supply of vaccines and boosters for both adults and children.. BA.2 makes up 54.9% of cases nationally and 44.57% in Alaska.BA.2 seems to be more transmissible but not more virulent than BA.1, meaning it spreads more easily but doesn’t cause more severe illness, McLaughlin said. Vaccines are also as effective against BA.2 as they are against BA.1, officials said.
Other monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments are still available, but it’s important to ask a health care provider about them quickly, officials said. That’s because patients need to start taking them within five to seven days after testing positive or experiencing symptoms in order for them to be effective.
Rabinowitz said Alaska’s supply levels for monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments are also stable. Dr. Eric Mooring, a CDC epidemiologist, said he hoped it would be useful for communities making decisions about masking requirements and other mitigation measures.
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