Julie Denison, member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s Incident Management Team, and Beth Wilson, pharmacy technician at Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, sign in Kenai Peninsula resident Lee Sparlin for her COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the Soldotna Prep School in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Julie Denison, member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s Incident Management Team, and Beth Wilson, pharmacy technician at Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, sign in Kenai Peninsula resident Lee Sparlin for her COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the Soldotna Prep School in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Hundreds vaccinated in central pen clinics

The vaccine is currently available to front-line health care workers and residents over the age of 65.

Editor’s note: A photo caption for this article has been edited to correct the name of the man who received his COVID-19 vaccine from retired school nurse Tracy Silta.

The central peninsula hosted its first large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinics Saturday.

At Soldotna Prep, 350 residents got their first round of the Moderna vaccine, while another 85 received shots at the Nikiski Senior Center.

The clinic in Soldotna was administered by Soldotna Professional Pharmacy and staffed by more than a dozen volunteers. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s Office of Emergency Management assisted with the staffing, bringing in members of their Incident Management and Community Emergency Response Teams as well as pharmacists and nurses, both active and retired, from around the community.

Residents who scheduled an appointment to get vaccinated Saturday waited in their cars outside the building, and either walked in at their appointed time or were sent an alert to their mobile phone letting them know it was their turn. Bud Sexton, operations manager for OEM, said the process went smoothly and ensured that people weren’t waiting in lines.

People walked through the side doors of Soldotna Prep to check themselves in, and then were brought into an adjacent room where a half-dozen nurses and pharmacists sat at vaccination stations. All of the doses administered on Saturday were the first round of the Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses spaced 28 days apart.

After being given the vaccine, people at the clinic walked down the hall to an observation area, where additional volunteers monitored the patients for any adverse effects or allergic reactions. A medical team was on hand and ready to respond and transport people to the hospital if needed, Sexton said, but the day went by without anyone needing medical attention.

The volunteers in the observation room also assisted with scheduling the second round of vaccination, which will be administered at Soldotna Prep on Feb. 20. Borough Emergency Manager Dan Nelson said that making sure people were signed up for their second dose was one of the most important parts of the process.

“Something that we’ve been seeing is that folks who are older might not have access to internet at home or might have asked somebody to help them with their first appointment,” Nelson said. “So we’re putting a lot of emphasis on making sure they come back for the second dose so it’s effective.”

In Alaska, the vaccine is currently available to front-line health care workers and residents over the age of 65. Sexton said that represents a significant portion of the population — about 20% of borough residents are over the age of 65, for example — so it could take some time to get those groups fully vaccinated.

“In rough numbers, we’re probably looking at about 11,000 people in that group on the peninsula,” Sexton said. “So if 60-70% of them want the vaccine, that’s around 7,000 people. So it’s going to take a while.”

As of Friday, Sexton said, the State of Alaska had recorded around 3,600 vaccinations on the peninsula. With Saturday’s clinics in Soldotna and Nikiski, as well as three more clinics scheduled in Soldotna, Ninilchik, Nikiski and Cooper Landing this week, the borough could be looking at more than 5,000 vaccinations administered by the end of the week. Sexton noted that although that number may seem small, Alaska currently has the highest vaccination rate of any state — about 10% of the population has received at least one dose, according to reporting from the New York Times.

“It feels to us like we’re going slow, but we’re still doing a lot better than everybody else,” Sexton said. “It takes a lot of effort and a lot of people power. Some of these people are doing this every day, and on top of their normal workload.”

David Blossom, a pharmacist at Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, said Saturday that they have been hosting smaller-scale clinics about three times a week in conjunction with their normal operation. Blossom said that the workload fluctuates depending on the day, but the assistance is there if they need it.

“On some days, if we have a smaller amount of vaccine to give out, I or another pharmacist can run the day by ourselves,” Blossom said. “There’s been some other days where we’ve had Public Health nurses come in and assist us with the administration.”

Sexton said that the borough has put out a call for more volunteers in the health care profession who wish to assist in future vaccination efforts. Anyone who wishes to sign up can find the registration form at covid19.kpb.us.

In addition, the borough is operating a call center from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday. Anyone who is experiencing difficulties scheduling a vaccination appointment can call one of the following numbers to have someone assist them in the process.

Central peninsula: 907-262-4636

Homer: 907-235-4636

Seward: 907-224-4636

Reach reporter Brian Mazurek at bmazurek@peninsulaclarion.com.

A Kenai Peninsula Resident walks in to the Soldotna Prep School for her vaccine appointment during a clinic hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and Soldotna Professional Pharmacy in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

A Kenai Peninsula Resident walks in to the Soldotna Prep School for her vaccine appointment during a clinic hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and Soldotna Professional Pharmacy in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula residents arrive at the Soldotna Prep School to receive their COVID-19 vaccine in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula residents arrive at the Soldotna Prep School to receive their COVID-19 vaccine in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Retired school nurse Tracy Silta adminsters the COVID-19 vaccine to Drew Sparlin at the Soldotna Prep School in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Retired school nurse Tracy Silta adminsters the COVID-19 vaccine to Drew Sparlin at the Soldotna Prep School in Soldotna, Alaska on Jan. 23, 2021. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

More in News

Montessori materials sit on shelves in a classroom at Soldotna Montessori Charter School on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Education debate draws state attention to peninsula charter schools

Dunleavy would like to see a shift of authority over charter school approvals from local school districts to the state

The Nikiski Senior Center stands under sunlight in Nikiski, Alaska, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Support available for community caregivers

Nikiski Senior Center hosts relaunched Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program

Flags flank the entrance to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office on Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Dunleavy vetoes bipartisan education bill

Senate Bill 140 passed the House by a vote of 38-2 and the Senate by a vote of 18-1 last month

The Alaska State Capitol on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
House passes bill altering wording of sex crimes against children

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer

Ben Meyer and Brandon Drzazgowski present to the Soldotna and Kenai Chambers of Commerce at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Watershed Forum gives update on streambank restoration

The watershed forum and other organizations are working to repair habitat and mitigate erosion

The entrance to the Kenai Police Department, as seen in Kenai, Alaska, on April 1, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai resident arrested on charges of arson

Kenai Police and Kenai Fire Department responded to a structure fire near Mountain View Elementary

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks in opposition to an executive order that would abolish the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives during a joint legislative session on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Legislature kills most of Dunleavy’s executive orders in rare joint session

All the proposed orders would have shuffled or eliminated the responsibilities of various state boards

Nikiski Middle/High School student Maggie Grenier testifies in favor of a base student allocation increase before the Alaska Senate Education Committee on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Screenshot)
Students report mixed responses from lawmakers in education discussions

Delegates from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District lobbied the Alaska Legislature for more state funding and other education priorities

A child waves from the back of a truck as the 32nd annual Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade proceeds down Fireweed Street in Soldotna, Alaska on Friday, March 17, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
St. Patrick’s Day parade set for Sunday

The annual Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, kicks off at 2 p.m.

Most Read