Updated COVID-19 vaccines reach Alaska pharmacies as state epidemiologists urge clinicians to recommend them

Updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting XFG, a JN.1-lineage Omicron subvariant, are at many Alaska pharmacies, and state epidemiologists urge clinicians to recommend them for all eligible patients 6 months and older, especially those at increased risk for severe illness.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a shot for all adults 19 and older and two doses, at least six months apart, for those 65 and older. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one dose for infants 6 to 23 months and for older children with high-risk conditions, children in close contact with people at risk and children whose parents choose to vaccinate them, plus a second dose for moderately or severely immunosuppressed children. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends one dose for those planning pregnancy, pregnant, or postpartum.

Available vaccines are Nuvaxovid, mNexspike, Spikevax and Comirnaty, with varying age ranges. Clinic ordering through the public Vaccines for Children program and the Alaska Vaccine Assessment Program will open following CDC guidance, according to the state bulletin.

The state's Sept. 23 season summary counts 22 Alaska residents whose death certificates listed COVID-19 as a cause in 2025-26, including one child. Reported cases fell February through June 2026, then rose through August.