On Monday, August 23, 2021, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, now known as Comirnaty, is the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), replacing its emergency use authorization (EUA) for all Americans over the age of 16 years including American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine continues to be available under EUA for Native youth ages 12-15 years and certain immunocompromised persons who are receiving a third dose. Read more.

For vaccine resources, check out National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) “Questions to Ask Your Provider”, for patients to use when considering getting a COVID-19 vaccine and "COVID-19 Vaccination for Tribal Communities."

For questions or comments, please contact Courtney Wheeler, and visit NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center.

On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a joint statement from public health and medical experts on the Biden Administration's plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people. Pending the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations, the Biden Administration announced that the third vaccine shot will be available as early as September 20. On August 12, 2021 the FDA announced that a third vaccine dose is recommended for immunocompromised individuals effective immediately. Many Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities are presently updating or creating internal policies to administer the shot and contact their immunocompromised patients. Community Health Representatives and public health nurses will work to provide shots to patients who are homebound, disabled, or lack transportation. Tribal health systems are also reaching out to immunocompromised patients and planning vaccination events for boosters. Read more.

For vaccine resources, check out National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) “Questions to Ask Your Provider” for patients to use when considering getting a COVID-19 vaccine. For answers on the Delta variant from the White House Vaccine Coordinator and a Native physician, watch the webinar “Response to the Delta Variant in Tribal Communities Webinar” – the first in the NIHB #ACTOFLOVE COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar Series in partnership with the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP).

For questions or comments, please contact Courtney Wheeler . Visit NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center at www.nihb.org/covid-19.

National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking information from Tribal environmental health professionals on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted environmental health work in Tribal communities, especially with regards to food safety.

If you are a Tribal environmental health or food safety professional, please fill out this short survey to help guide NIHB’s work in this area. Should you be interested, NIHB staff can arrange for a follow up conversation over the phone about best practices, policies, and procedures being implemented for your ongoing COVID-19 response implementation efforts and planning activities. Please email Audrianna Marzette at [email protected] or Brett Weber at [email protected] for more information.

Are you a Native woman who has embarked on a journey to quit smoking in the past year? National Indian Health Board (NIHB) would like to hear from you! If you are interested in a brief (approx. 20 minute) phone call so we can hear about your journey to stop using commercial tobacco products during the COVID-19 pandemic and what advice you’d offer to other Native women experiencing tobacco addiction, please email Brett Weber at [email protected].

With many people complaining about brain fog, attention problems and confusion after COVID-19, researchers are exploring whether infections could have long-term consequences for the brain. In trial results presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2021, scientists said they found changes in brain biology after hospitalization with COVID-19 and a link between smell loss and mental sharpness in older adults. Read the full article here.

International Association on Indigenous Aging (IA2) and National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) are pleased to announce that they are now officially the national sublicensee for the Dementia Friends USA program. Dementia Friends USA is part of a global movement focused on changing the way people act, think, and talk about dementia. Read more.

The vaccine transfer/redistribution processes outlined on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page are the legal methods to adjust to changes in vaccine supply and demand. The guidance outlines two methods to transfer vaccines to IHS-operated facilities and facilities operated by Tribal Health Program and Urban Indian Organization (I/T/U) participating in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program coordinated through IHS. The transfer of vaccines under these two methods eliminates the need for Tribal Health Programs and Urban Indian Organizations to sign separate CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Agreements through a state/local jurisdiction. Read more. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) introduces a new blog authored by Denise Cardo, MD, Director, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. The Safe Healthcare Blog addresses the need for more action to reduce infectious disease threats around the world so that there is a resilient system ready to address and stop the next threat when it arrives. This blog highlights lessons learned over the last decade and from the COVID-19 global response that inform ways to prevent healthcare-associated infections, including those caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens, and other infectious diseases. 

On August 26, 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the development of a new sample preparation method to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The method simplifies sample purification and potentially reducing test time and cost. Read more. 

The Indian Health Service (IHS) National Tribal Advisory Committee on Behavioral Health (NTAC) membership roster currently has ten vacancies. There are four Area Primary vacant positions and six Area Alternate positions. The following areas have vacant positions:

For more information or questions regarding these vacancies, please contact Michele Muir-Howard at [email protected].

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will soon be offering a multi-year funding opportunity for retail food regulatory agencies in their efforts to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness and increase conformance with the Retail Program Standards. The Grant Program has three tracks depending on the level of capacity of the applicant. Read more.

Applications due Monday, August 30, 2021

The Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) provides Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) with input and guidance on policies, guidelines, and programmatic issues affecting the health of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes. Nominations for Tribal leader representatives are currently being accepting for several Areas:

Applications due Monday, September 6, 2021

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has announced two Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) funding opportunities.

Various deadlines

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has the following funding opportunities available:

NIH Maternal Health Funding for Prevention of Perinatal Depression: Improving Intervention Delivery for At-Risk Individuals

Due date: October 9, 2021

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced two funding opportunities for applications to refine and examine preliminary effectiveness of perinatal depression preventive interventions in settings where women receive perinatal care. Tribal entities are encouraged to apply. Read more on RFA-MH-21-240 or RFA-MH-21-241.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking qualified candidates for the following open positions in the Public Health Policy and Programs Department based in Washington, DC.

Job descriptions are available here.

One of the goals of The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevention and Control Capacity Building Program is to “develop and/or adapt existing materials to inform Tribal health professionals about important components of infection prevention and control (IPC)”. To support this endeavor, NIHB is in the process of compiling current materials and plans which Tribal Health Organizations and Systems currently use or have used. NIHB is seeking assistance with gathering information about existing infection control learning materials and/or infection control response plans. Recognizing that many Tribes and Tribal organizations have set an example in their response through great planning, NIHB requests that anyone willing to share their materials to please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected].

On the National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Brain Health for Tribal Nations webpage, you can now submit a request for technical assistance for implementing the Roadmap to Indian Country strategies, hosting a Brain Health Action Institute, locating resources, starting conversations on brain health in your community, and more. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) created a response plan template as a resource for Tribes, Pueblos, and Nations to use in developing COVID-19 or other outbreak response plans or in cross-walking with existing plans. In recognition of Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, the response template acknowledges that Tribes, Pueblos, and Nations may differ in respect to their approaches to COVID-19-related mitigation and response. Therefore, this document serves as a starting or reference point for Tribal nations to review and determine what content may be relevant to their unique circumstances. Read more here.

Doctors, nurses, researchers and community health care workers provide facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. The latest installment about the COVID vaccines and children is created in partnership between KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) the Black Coalition Against COVID, UnidosUS, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The new FAQ videos featuring pediatricians is hosted by comedian and TV host, W. Kamau Bell asking questions that many parents and caregivers have about the vaccine. The conversation features Drs. Shaquita Bell, Rhea Boyd and Yvonne Maldonado. Watch the recording and full series here. 

New! COVID-19 Resources

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great tool to help you make decisions on when to seek testing and medical care. Tribal members who are 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 can use the tool to help decide when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Tribal members can use the on-line tool to find recommended actions and resources based on their response to questions in the Self-checker tool. 

Today! Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to announce the NIHB Tribal COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness Learning Event. This event will provide information on preparedness, planning, and response, the importance of data sharing in response to COVID-19, and much more. Each session will assist Tribes with current and future emergency response efforts. There will also be a panel on Federal response with presenters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Register here.

The de Beaumont Foundation is inviting Tribal leaders and Tribal public health practitioners to join them for a virtual town hall to discuss Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System on Friday, August 27^th from 10-11 am PT/1-2 pm ET to provide input on creating a transformative public health modernization effort and considerations for improving partners between Tribal, state, and local governments. The conversation will be led by Joe Finkbonner, former Executive Director of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and immediate past chair of the Public Health Accreditation Board. Participants’ thoughts will inform a final report. Register here by Thursday, August 26^th.

This webinar hosted by the Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AoA) will discuss the intersection between trauma and dementia, the unique burdens, and challenges of family caregivers of older adults with dementia and a history of trauma, and how person-centered, trauma-informed approaches can address these challenges and promote the health and well-being of this caregiving population. Learn more here.

Participating in public health accreditation related activities has many benefits for Tribes including increased opportunities for the exercise of Tribal sovereignty, and improved health of the community. To continuously improve products and services available to meet the needs of both the public health system and health departments interested in accreditation, the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is in the process of developing and vetting a performance recognition program that supports performance improvement and builds accreditation readiness.

If you have questions or comments about the upcoming webinar, please visit PHAB’s website, www.phaboard.org/pathways or submit any questions to Jessica Dean at [email protected]. Register here.  

Performance improvement and progress toward national public health standards have helped Tribal health organizations improve their ability to exercise Tribal sovereignty and improve capacity to support community health. Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for a webinar reviewing the Strong Systems, Stronger Communities (SSSC): Strengthening Tribal Public Health Systems funding opportunity. This opportunity builds on NIHB’s commitment to strengthening Tribal public health systems by offering support and technical assistance directly to Tribes on projects designed to build their public health capacity. NIHB staff will be available to answer questions about the funding opportunity and application process. Official Tribal entities of federally recognized Tribal governments, Tribal organizations, or inter-Tribal consortiums are encouraged to attend.

Please submit any questions to Jessica Dean at [email protected] or Nina Martin at [email protected]. Register here.  

Indian Country Dementia ECHO for Health Care Workers and Caregivers 

Date: 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of every month at 12-1:00pm MT

The Dementia ECHO Program: For Health Care Workers and Caregivers begins on September 9^th (clinical program) and September 23^rd (caregiver support program). The program is designed to support I/T/U clinicians and caregivers to strengthen the knowledge and care around dementia for Tribal patients. Learn more.

The National Indian Health Board is hosting the final webinar in a 3-part series on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). This webinar will be focused on Safety Planning/Immediate Intervention after Abuse Occurs. Guest speaker, Lisa Morad-McCoy, Senior Program Therapist, will provide information on the benefits of providing skilled clinical care and addressing emotional and/or physical safety of clients who disclose abuse. The webinar is recommended for Tribal behavioral health professionals, public health professionals, education staff and anyone who works with AI/AN communities around IPV. Register here. For more information, contact Chyna Locklear at [email protected].

September 10-11, 2021 (virtual)

Discounted Registration ends August 27, 2021

The 9th International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health (IMICH) – the only conference dedicated to the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, American Indian, Alaska Native and other Indigenous children and youth in North America and around the world - is taking place on September 10 and 11, 2021. The National Indian Health Board is pleased to serve on the planning committee for the IMICH as the work of the IMICH aligns with several NIHB public health and youth-focused strategic priorities. Those interested may register here.

September 14-16, at 1:30pm-5:15pm ET

In an effort to find lasting solutions to the public safety challenges Tribal communities encounter and to protect them from violence, abuse, and exploitation, a national symposium on missing or murdered indigenous persons (MMIP) related issues for federal, state, Tribal and local stakeholders is being held September 14-16, 2021. This MMIP training is via webinar and will address important topics like data collection, victim advocacy, creating a community strategy for addressing missing persons, and working collaboratively across jurisdictions. The webinar is free. Learn more here.

September 21–23, 2021

Join the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Regional Operations (ORO) in Seattle in collaboration with Health and Human Services (HHS) operating divisions and Tribal and Urban Indian Organizations in Region 10 for the 2021 American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) multidisciplinary health summit. The summit will focus on promising practices and innovative approaches to improve AI/AN health and address disparities in the midst of COVID-19. Read more. 

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to invite you to its annual National Tribal Health Conference (NTHC)! The theme of this year's conference is, "The Future of Native Health in Our Changing World!"

The Early Bird Registration Rate for the NTHC ends September 3rd! Starting September 4th, registration rates for attendees will increase by $70 to $420. Youth rates will remain the same price of $125.

Join NIHB for 5-days of action-packed plenary sessions, informative workshops from experts across Indian Country, and consultation and listening sessions with federal agencies. Make sure to stick around for the last day of the conference for sessions dedicated to technology in American Indian and Alaska Native health systems!