Vaccines Best Defense Against COVID-19 Variants

At the Anchorage Assembly meeting last evening, Anchorage Health Department epidemiologist Dr. Janet Johnson announced that Alaska has seen four more cases of the COVID-19 P.1 variant crop up in the state. Dr. Johnson said that overall COVID cases have hit a "relative minimum and are starting to go up slowly."

Preliminary data from the University of São Paulo, Imperial College London and Oxford University suggests the Brazil P.1 COVID variant could be up to twice as transmittable as the original version of the virus. Data also suggests that the new variant could evade immunity built up by those who have had the predominant strain of COVID-19. The chance of reinfection is estimated between 25% and 60%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised concern about P.1, writing that the variant, which was first detected in the United States at the end of January 2021, "has 17 unique mutations, including three in the receptor binding domain of the spike protein."

Today it was reported that health systems in most of Brazil's largest cities are close to collapse because of COVID-19 cases. More than 80% of intensive care unit beds are occupied in the capitals of 25 of Brazil's 27 states, and experts warn that the highly contagious P.1 variant in Brazil may have effects in their immediate region and beyond.

Vaccines - Best Defense

Preliminary studies of the AstraZeneca vaccine have shown it would protect against the P.1 variant, however, the Oxford team behind the vaccine's development said it offers less protection - but should still protect against severe illness caused by COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine has been able to combat the Brazil P.1 variant, according to laboratory research published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Both Pfizer and Moderna have been testing whether they’ll need to add booster shots to their two-dose regimens.

Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink said yesterday that "the less COVID we have circulating, the less variants there are," and health officials say that vaccinations are the best defense at keeping variants of the virus from spreading.Yesterday the State of Alaska announced the COVID-19 vaccine was being made available to everyone living or working in Alaska who is age 16 or older.

You can check AnchorageCOVIDvaccine.org and vaccinefinder.org for appointments. If you need further help signing up or have questions, call 907-646-3322 and ask for an interpreter if you need one.