Pablo Arauz Peña, KTOO

A panel of local health experts, joined by Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink, dispelled myths about COVID-19 vaccines at a virtual community Q&A Wednesday.

Zink and the panel addressed concerns about some of the scarier theories about vaccines, like that some people may have been medevaced after taking the vaccine.

Charlee Gribbon at Bartlett Regional Hospital says while Juneau did have the first case of someone having an allergic reaction early on in the vaccination effort, she isn’t aware of anyone being medevaced after taking a vaccine.

Zink backed that up with data.

“We get reports from the FDA of any errors reporting in, and there have been no medevacs in the state related to the COVID-19 vaccine,” Zink said.

The overall message was that all three vaccines that have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration are safe. Zink says the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are all effective in reducing serious illness and death.

The panel also addressed the big question that might be on everyone’s mind: When will things get back to normal?

Local physician Dr. Bob Urata said the answer hinges on the vaccination effort.

“I think that the more people get vaccinated, the sooner we’ll get back to normal, the sooner we’re going to be able to open up our economy, the sooner normal will come to us,” he said.

Zink compared it to fire and kindling.

“If you have so few pieces of kindling to light on fire, the fire can’t go from person to person and take off, and this virus can’t replicate. So if you get enough people that it doesn’t move on, then that’s great,” Zink said. “If you have a lot of fire going, like when your fireplace is like full on, you throw a log in, it takes off and goes off right away. The same is true with this virus.”

Zink also says when it comes to talking to folks who might be hesitant to take the vaccine, communication is key.

“Talking, again, to your healthcare provider, checking out our website, having those conversations and encouraging them to, and I am just amazed at how many times it’s a one-on-one conversation with someone you know and love is the turning point for many, many people,” Zink said.

More than 14,000 people in Juneau have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 7,700 people in Juneau are fully vaccinated.

In this newscast:

• Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy sent a letter to all legislators today saying the state should not return to having a disaster declaration.
• The federal government held its ground today against calls to roll back restrictions on cruise ship sailings.
• A measure in the state House would amend state law to officially recognize most Tribes of Alaska.
• An Alaska-based airman and the owners of a construction company face federal conspiracy, bribery and money laundering charges related to contracts awarded at two Alaska bases.
• Vaccine hesitancy and rates of COVID-19 spread in communities where Alaska prisons are located are hindering efforts to lift restrictions imposed during the pandemic at state Department of Corrections facilities.

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Juneau residents with questions about the COVID-19 vaccine have a chance to get them answered by a panel of health care professionals at a virtual community Q&A today at 5 p.m.

The City and Borough of Juneau invited a group of panelists for the event that includes Alaska’s chief medical officer Dr. Anne Zink and Bartlett Regional Hospital’s infection specialist Charlee Gribbon.

Other panelists include someone from the state’s Division of Public Health and a local pharmacist and family practice physician.

Participants can submit questions ahead of time by emailing COVIDquestions@juneau.org. Questions will also be accepted during the event on Zoom in the Q&A box. Questions will not be accepted on Facebook.

You can watch the Q&A on this post. Residents can join the event on Zoom or Facebook Live or by calling 1-253-215-8782 or 1-346-248-7799 with webinar ID 989 3729 0518.

In this newscast:

• One small cruise company will require all its passengers and crew to be vaccinated before making any trips to Alaska this year.
• More than five weeks after Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s disaster declaration was allowed to expire, Dunleavy and some legislators disagree with other lawmakers over whether to bring it back.
• A witness who spoke with Andy Teuber before his helicopter went missing earlier this month told federal investigators that the tribal health executive was distracted and not himself.
• Alaska-based telecommunications firm GCI plans to move its customer call center to the Philippines.
• Petersburg will bring back some form of the Little Norway Festival this year although it’s expected to look a little different in a COVID-19 world.

In this newscast:

• Juneau’s Bartlett Regional hospital has a new CEO.
• Economists and child advocates say the new federal relief plan could have a lasting impact on many Alaskan families.
• Sitka’s marine mammal stranding network headed to a nearby island last week to conduct a necropsy on a dead humpback whale.
• A reform bill to give more autonomy to Alaska’s ferry system is advancing through the legislature.

In this newscast:

• The state of Alaska will receive a huge influx of money from the latest federal COVID-19 relief package.
• A globally significant news story unfolded in Anchorage yesterday, as top Biden administration officials held their first in-person talks with senior Chinese diplomats.
• State health officials say Petersburg’s recent outbreak of COVID-19 looked similar to the rapid spread seen in other parts of rural Alaska that hadn’t already seen widespread infection.