People 12 years or older can sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Haines. On May 26, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is running a Pfizer vaccine clinic from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Prior to May 10, COVID-19 vaccinations were only available for people 16 years or older. Emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine in adolescents lowered the age limit.

Haines Health Center clinic administrator Stephanie Pattison said parents who want to get their children vaccinated need to sign them up through the SEARHC website. Parents are required to accompany children under the age of 18. Those with questions can call the clinic at 766-6300 ext. 2.

With the exception of the May 26 Pfizer clinic, the Haines Health Center has mostly been administering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines at small, weekly clinics.

In mid-April, SEARHC temporarily paused use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in accordance with a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Following a safety review, on April 23, the organizations lifted the recommended pause. SEARHC resumed use of the vaccine a week later.

More than 1,300 people in the Chilkat Valley were fully vaccinated as of May 19.