FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2021
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation identified a positive case of COVID-19 in a resident of Nome on Wednesday, March 17. The individual is a NSHC employee, who was not a close contact to any patients. The individual is now safely isolating, and their close contacts have been notified.
This case is believed to have been acquired through community spread. There are currently three active COVID-19 cases in the region, all of which are located in Nome.
As the region’s COVID-19 vaccination rate steadily climbs, NSHC continues to encourage people to get vaccinated if they have not already. In order to reach herd immunity, NSHC has set a lofty goal of vaccinating 80% of the entire region, including adults and children. Several communities are well on their way to reaching that goal with over 70% of their eligible population – everyone 16 years and older – vaccinated.
Herd immunity occurs when enough of the population is immunized against a virus so that they are able to protect the remaining population from being exposed to the virus.
Here are the top five reasons people should be vaccinated:
- For the protection of yourself, your family, and your community. COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing illness from the virus and even more effective at preventing serious illness or death from the virus. Each of the vaccines helps protect against new variants of the virus as well.
- The vaccines are safe. Each vaccine passed the rigorous scientific standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being approved for emergency use. Common side effects are mild. Severe allergic reactions are extremely rare. No deaths have occurred from the vaccines.
- If fully vaccinated, quarantine may no longer be required after traveling.
- If fully vaccinated, quarantine will no longer be necessary if you become a close contact to a positive patient.
- The sooner a community reaches herd immunity, the sooner things can return to normal.
Everyone who is 16 years and older in the region is eligible to be vaccinated. If you live in a village and would like to receive your COVID-19 vaccination, please contact your local clinic to be placed on a vaccination waitlist. In Nome, patients can make an appointment to receive the Pfizer vaccine by visiting www.picktime.com/NSHC. If they are interested in receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, patients may sign up for a waitlist at https://tinyurl.com/vaccinewaitlist. The NSHC Pharmacy in Nome will call the waitlist patients to make an appointment when enough individuals have signed up.
