COVID-19 contributed to 22 Alaska deaths last season, including one child

Twenty-two Alaska residents died last season with COVID-19 listed on the death certificate as an underlying or contributing cause. One of them was a child.

The Alaska Section of Epidemiology reported the deaths Wednesday in Bulletin 16, its COVID-19 2025-26 Season Summary, covering September 2025 through August 2026. The bulletin says nothing further about the pediatric death. It recommends vaccination for all eligible people, particularly those at higher risk of severe COVID-19.

Alaska recorded fewer COVID-19 cases than in either the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Case counts fell steadily from February through June, then rose again through August. The bulletin publishes no case totals.

Earlier state figures put the season in scale, though they are not directly comparable: they cover different periods and classify deaths differently. A Section of Epidemiology report from December 9, 2025, counted more than 1,500 Alaska deaths attributed to COVID-19 through the end of the federal public health emergency, roughly one in every 500 residents. The 2024 Vital Statistics Annual Report lists COVID-19 as an underlying cause in 58 Alaska deaths that year. The state's influenza summary for the same season counted 36 flu deaths and no pediatric fatalities.

Vaccines for the 2026-2027 season target the JN.1-lineage XFG, an Omicron subvariant. Four products are available at many pharmacies statewide. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a dose for all adults 19 and older, and two doses for adults 65 and older, separated by at least six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one dose for infants 6 to 23 months and older children with high-risk conditions. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends one dose for people who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or postpartum. Pemgarda, a monoclonal antibody, is authorized to prevent infection in people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Alaska wastewater data are on WastewaterSCAN's dashboard for Anchorage and a statewide dashboard from the University of Alaska Anchorage.