TCC is excited to announce that we can protect even more people from getting sick with Covid-19! On Monday May 10, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for youth between ages 12 and 15. The Pfizer vaccine has been proven in clinical studies to be at least as effective in adolescents as it is in adults with similar side effects that have occurred in young adults.
Tanana Chiefs Conference has opened COVID-19 vaccination appointments for youth ages 12-to-15-years-old who are TCC beneficiaries as well as household members of TCC employees or beneficiaries. TCC will also be offering vaccination clinics in the 26 rural communities where TCC provides health care.
Vaccination appointments at Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center can be scheduled by calling the main phone number at (907) 451-6682. Youth need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian for their appointment, which would take about 30 to 45 minutes.
TCC health officials encourage parents to consider what other vaccinations their kids will need in the upcoming months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends no other immunizations for two weeks before and after a COVID-19 shot. That means that there is a seven or eight week window when kids won’t be eligible for other vaccinations required for school. As of May 5, TCC has administered 16,029 first and second vaccination doses in Fairbanks and in the 26 rural Alaska communities where TCC provides healthcare. About half of eligible TCC patients are fully vaccinated and we encourage everyone who is eligible to make an appointment for a covid-19 vaccine and get protected today. The more people in our community are protected, the more we can get back to normal.