Print article As COVID-19 case counts in Alaska begin to climb again, health officials say getting the state vaccinated is the best way to tamp down spread — but the pace of vaccination is slowing. ”This is the crux of where we’re at right now with this pandemic,” state epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin said this week. “We need to get people vaccinated.” Health experts have billed high rates of vaccination as a ticket out of the pandemic, and Alaska last month became the first state to offer vaccinations for all residents 16 and older. The Alaskans most eager to get the vaccine have already received their shots. Now, the new challenge that state officials say they’re facing is how to reach a sometimes more hesitant group of individuals who might get a vaccine if the process were simpler.