Coronavirus
Alaska Becomes the First State to Drop Eligibility Requirements for the COVID-19 Vaccine
JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska has become the first state to drop eligibility requirements for Covid-19 vaccines and allow anyone 16 or older who lives or works in the state to get a vaccine, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Tuesday.
The governor made the announcement after his own bout with Covid-19, which he described as an inconvenience and said underscored his own desire to be vaccinated. He said he did not become severely ill but did not want “to be laid up in the house again,” impact his family or possibly spread the virus to others.
He described expanding eligibility for vaccines in Alaska as a “game-changer,” particularly with the summer tourist season looming and as the state seeks to rebuild its pandemic-tattered economy.
