State of Alaska report shows no correlation between high vaccine rates and low virus transmission

Despite government messaging to the contrary, it makes little difference whether a particular Alaska community is highly vaccinated when it comes to preventing community transmission of COVID.

A June 11 report from the Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services highlights the most and least vaccinated areas of the state, and then provides a look at how each location is doing in terms of community spread of the virus. The state report claims that the “higher the vaccination rate, the more protected community members are from COVID-19.” This, however, is not reflected in the state’s own data.

In fact, the areas with the three lowest vaccination rates, Mat-Su, Fairbanks and Kenai, all have low transmission rates. Juneau, on the other hand, has one of the very highest vaccination rates, but its transmission rate is considered “intermediate” – more than double that of Fairbanks and Kenai.

STORY