Passengers at the Juneau International Airport make their way past signage notifying the public about the state’s travel restrictions on Monday, Nov. 15, 2020. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services released a request for information seeking to determine interest among potential contractors to provide a one-dose vaccine to interested travelers in a secure section of the airports in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Passengers at the Juneau International Airport make their way past signage notifying the public about the state’s travel restrictions on Monday, Nov. 15, 2020. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services released a request for information seeking to determine interest among potential contractors to provide a one-dose vaccine to interested travelers in a secure section of the airports in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Alaska health department floats idea of airport vaccinations

Could vaccines be coming to Alaska’s busiest airports?

By Becky Bohrer

Associated Press

The state health department is floating the idea of providing COVID-19 vaccinations to travelers at Alaska’s busiest airports with the summer tourism and fishing seasons looming.

The department released a request for information Wednesday, seeking to determine interest among potential contractors to provide a one-dose vaccine to interested travelers in a secure section of the airports in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan.

“As Alaska’s essential workers, industry workers, seasonal employees, resident travelers and out-of-state travel increases during the May-October 2021 timeframe, implementing strategies to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 through Alaska’s communities and individuals is critical,” the request states.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

One of the vaccines available for emergency use is a one-dose shot, which the department says its Division of Public Health intends to use for such a program, subject to availability. Under emergency use authorizations, people 18 or older can receive that shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC considers people fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine or two weeks after their second dose of a two-shot vaccine.

The state health department request asks interested contractors to provide staffing plans and estimates for what they think it would cost to administer the program.

Officials have said Alaska continues to provide testing for COVID-19 at airports, though such tests are not required since a disaster declaration ended last month.

There is an ongoing debate at the state Capitol over whether a disaster declaration is needed. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has argued it is not, and is instead asking lawmakers for what he calls “limited tools to navigate what has become the endgame of COVID-19.”

Dunleavy’s administration, which in January proposed a disaster declaration through September, said circumstances have changed since then. The state health commissioner, Adam Crum, told lawmakers Wednesday he does not believe Alaska’s COVID-19 situation rises to the level of being declared a disaster under state disaster laws.

According to the state health department, 27% of Alaskans 16 or older are considered fully vaccinated.

Dunleavy, a Republican, in a letter to lawmakers said declaring a disaster could “lead travelers to incorrectly assume that Alaska’s situation is deteriorating, jeopardizing the livelihoods of those working in one of our largest and hardest-hit industries.”

Some lawmakers argue the state should err on the side of caution and provide Dunleavy with the powers available under state disaster laws, whether he wants to use those or not. Others have shown interested in authorizing narrower powers.

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in