Editor’s note: After this story was published, all vaccine appointment slots have been filled.
Anchorage will open a mass vaccination clinic at the Alaska Airlines Center this weekend for residents eligible for the current phase of vaccinations.
That includes people over the age of 65, health care workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and emergency response workers.
The clinic will begin with 1000 appointments spread out over the weekend, with at least another 800 slots next week.
Registration opened at 6 p.m. Thursday on the state’s vaccination website. And due to high demand, all the appointment spots were filled by Friday morning.
The vaccination clinic comes after reports of Alaskans having trouble booking appointments for vaccinations over the last several days, including in Anchorage.
“It’s been a challenging few days. I know on our end, and I know for you all that are really trying to make those appointments,” said Tessa Walker Linderman, who runs the state’s vaccination program at a press conference on Thursday. “We’re working really hard to streamline some of the communications and usability of our website.”
State officials say similar mass vaccination clinics are planned for Juneau, Fairbanks and the Mat-Su.
Lex Treinen is covering the state Legislature for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at ltreinen@gmail.com.
