As the medical provider and partner in health for all residents of Southeast, Alaska SEARHC has created a list of frequently asked questions about COVID-19. If you have questions that aren’t listed here, please reach out to your local clinic.
On Aug. 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of updated COVID-19 booster shots that combat the two most recent and contagious omicron subvariants. These will be available once the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines for their use. This is expected in the coming days. SEARHC has already placed an order for this “updated booster”, and it is expected to arrive sometime next week. All SE communities with SEARHC primary care clinics, are preparing to have the “updated boosters” available as soon as they arrive.
Who is eligible to receive a single booster dose and when:
Following formal guidance from the CDC, booster shots are now available throughout the SEARHC Care Network for all eligible Patients. For more information, please see CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Information. The CDC will announce additional recommendations as they come available.
To schedule for the COVID-19 booster shot, please call your local SEARHC clinic, sign up with the QR code below
or sign up online with our COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Sign-up Form.
Where can I schedule my COVID-19 vaccine or booster?
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available to all eligible patients. To schedule a vaccination or booster, Open the camera app on your smartphone and scan the QR code below, or click this link. It will take you to a form where you can register for a vaccine or booster in your area. Rest assured that patients will be contacted as soon as their vaccine or booster is scheduled in accordance with sequence grouping. Please use a valid email address, as self-scheduling instructions will be sent via this method. If no appointments are available, please continue to attempt using the same scheduling link.
Are the vaccines and boosters safe?
The safety and effectiveness of a vaccine is determined during clinical trials. The FDA only authorizes vaccines after they have passed three phases of clinical trials, involving tens of thousands of people and months of data collection and analysis. After a vaccine is authorized, the FDA and CDC continue to monitor it using three existing federal safety systems. Doctors and scientists make safety decisions at the FDA and CDC that prioritize the health and well-being of every American citizen and are above political pressures.
No steps are skipped during the clinical trial process for COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine safety checks continue as long as a vaccine is available. More information on vaccine safety is available online from the CDC, FDA and DHSS. If you have additional safety questions about vaccines, ask your healthcare provider.
Are the vaccines and boosters effective?
Each COVID-19 vaccine and booster must meet FDA standards for effectiveness. Nearly all COVID-19 vaccines being approved and authorized in the United States require two shots spaced three to four weeks apart. The first shot starts building protection; it is essential to get the second shot for the vaccine to be effective and provide maximum protection. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95% effective within one to two weeks after the second shot. SEARHC Medical Directors encourage all SEARHC staff and community members to get the vaccine. Getting vaccinated can protect you, your family, and your community from COVID-19.
What are the side effects of the vaccine or booster?
Possible side effects associated with the vaccines or boosters include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. 5% or less will experience low-grade fever or mild headache. These side effects typically last about two days. COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large clinical trials and have been found to be safe. Safety monitoring will continue, as it does for all vaccines. CDC has an independent group of experts that reviews all the safety data as it comes in and provides regular safety updates.
Vaccine Data from SEARHC Facilities:
Updated March 3, 2023, at 12:42 p.m.
Confirmed Positive Cases at SEARHC Facilities:
Updated January 3, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.
2,945 in Juneau
3,556 in Sitka
790 in Wrangell
788 in Haines
764 in Klawock
63 in Gustavus
69 in Hydaburg
325 in Hoonah
75 in Kake
134 in Angoon
3 in Skagway
2 in Petersburg
State Case Update:
For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (AHDSS).
Promptly identifying COVID-19 cases continues to be the most effective way to limit the impact of the virus on our communities.
SEARHC is now providing two COVID-19 self kits per household at no cost. A reserve of kits will allow for self-testing in the safety of your own home. Self-test kits are available on a first-come first-serve basis, while supplies last. For more information, please contact your local SEARHC clinic. If you are feeling ill or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please stay home, and call to be scheduled at one of our testing sites.
COVID-19 testing at the Clinic is available to all who need them. If you are experiencing symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, or diarrhea, or if you think you have been exposed to someone with a positive test, or if you are traveling, or if you need a test to ensure the health of a vulnerable community member, please schedule a test with your clinic. You will be asked to provide Medicare or Medicaid information at the time of scheduling to have your insurance billed. There will be no out-of-pocket charges for testing for those who need tests.
Schedule your COVID-19 test through your local SEARHC clinic, or by calling the COVID Hotline at 907.966.8799. For information about testing in Sitka, click here.
Testing Fact Sheets:
Abbott ID Now EUA Patient Fact Sheet
Abbott RealTime Assay EUA Patient Fact Sheet
Cepheid Xpert Xpress EUA Patient Fact Sheet
It is simple to connect and see your healthcare provider from anywhere with Telehealth Services. To see your provider virtually, all you need is a smartphone or a computer with a webcam and internet connection. Virtual appointments are available with SEARHC providers in Primary Care, Specialty Care, Behavioral Health, and Rehabilitation service lines.
If you don’t have health insurance, SEARHC’s Patient Health Benefits team is available to answer patient coverage questions. For assistance, please contact outreach@searhc.org or call 907.966.8662. PHB staff can assist patients in applying for immediate coverage, as well as provide guidance to apply for Medicaid or navigate the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
SEARHC facilities are open to serve you with our full complement of service lines. Contact your local clinic to schedule an appointment in person, online, or by phone. Emergency services are open for any who need immediate care. COVID-19 screening measures are in place at all locations to ensure your safety. By following the CDC screening protocols and strict decontamination procedures, we are ensuring the safest possible clinical environment for patients.
SEARHC is prepared to care for and assist prenatal patients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For a list of patient questions and answers, please click here.
SEARHC has experienced providers and exceptional facilities across Southeast that are ready to provide high-quality care to your families now and throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
We are taking a number of active steps to ensure the safety of you and your family. Steps include pre-screening patients by phone or at the door for signs of COVID-19, making waiting areas social distance friendly, enhancing on-site disinfection, requiring face masking of patients and staff, and testing SEARHC employees.
Sitka residents, please click here for updated visitation guidelines for Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center. (1.26.2022)
If you begin to feel ill, and you don’t have any underlying conditions, stay home. Once you no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines, remain home for an additional 24-hours.
If you begin to feel ill and you do have underlying health conditions (heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, pregnancy, cancer, immune suppression), call your healthcare provider. Calling ahead to make an appointment before seeing a clinician will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed. When you call, make sure you tell the provider if you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, either through travel or with a case of the disease.
If you have an emergency medical condition, please call 911 or your local emergency medical services number.
If you are having a health issue you do not know how to handle outside of normal clinic hours, call the free After-Hours Nurse Advice Line at 1.800.613.0560. Nurse Advice Line calls will be answered by non-local, registered triage nurses who will:
SEARHC’s free After-Hours Nurse Advice Line is not a substitute for medical attention. The registered nurses cannot provide diagnoses or treatment but can provide advice for something as simple as what over-the-counter remedy is appropriate for a cold symptom to something as complex as explaining a new medication.
Abra el documento para leer las preguntas y respuestas de la comunidad sobre el COVID-19 aqui.
Questions? Contact your local SEARHC clinic or call the COVID-19 Hotline at 907.966.8799
Information: 907.463.4040
Nurse Advice Line1.800.613.0560
Crisis Helpline1.877.294.0074
Billing Inquiries1.877.966.8433
©2023 SEARHC