The COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Stakeholder held a virtual briefing on the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Community last week. During this call, there were recommendations for the federal government.

Find the stakeholder briefing recording here, and COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Final Report here.

Of these 780 million dollars, $240 million will be spent on expanding public health workforce by creating a pipeline program for 13,000 community health workers and paraprofessionals from underserved Communities; $210 million will be used to build preparedness in Tribal communities, support school nurses in the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and to expand the public health workforce in the Indian Health Service (IHS) and across Tribal communities.

$150 million will be used to address the single needs of people with disabilities and older adults in response and recovery from the COVID-19 virus and to improve their health and access to services from now on. More than $140 million will be used to continue supporting vaccine outreach to high risk communities such as the AI/AN community; and $35 million will be used by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve diversity in the public health workforce and to ensure improved capacity to response to the needs of underserved communities. Read more.

On November 17, 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Emergency Use Instructions (EUI) and updated its clinical considerations to allow Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to be given as a third dose or booster dose to certain people who completed their vaccine primary series with a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This ensures that eligible people who were vaccinated outside of the U.S. with these vaccines, or who received certain non-FDA authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines through participation in some clinical trials, can get an additional primary dose or booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.  

The new guidance mirrors CDC’s recommendations about who is eligible to receive boosters and additional primary doses, allowing an additional primary dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in certain immunocompromised persons aged 12 years and older, and/or a single booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain adults 18 years and older who completed their primary vaccination with a non-FDA authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Although COVID-19 vaccines continue to work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, including against the widely circulating Delta variant, we are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease. It’s important to note that this update only applies to a very small number of people. However, with cases of COVID-19 still high across the U.S. and globally, this update helps to ensure these individuals are better protected from the serious consequences of COVID-19.  

Read more about the clinical considerations here, and read the EUI here. 

On November 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that they will invest $650 million from the American Rescue Plan to bolster manufacturing capacity for quick, high-quality diagnostic testing through rapid point-of-care molecular tests and increase American to access them. Read more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on November 10, 2021 that the largest increase among unvaccinated children in 20 years and significant gaps in disease surveillance have raised risk of measles outbreaks that has put lives at risk. According to the CDC, during 2020, more than 22 million infants missed their first dose of measles vaccine which is 3 million more than in 2019, causing the largest increase and making dangerous conditions for outbreaks to happen. Read more.

NIHB is requesting applications for a new opportunity for supporting American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health through Tribal-led maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs). NIHB anticipates funding up to 12 proposals from Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations for up to $7,500 each. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in a self-assessment over an 8-month period to explore key components of Tribal-led MMRCs and assess their readiness to establish and sustain a Tribal-led MMRC. Tribal-led MMRCs that respect American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture may result in identification of meaningful and effective maternal mortality prevention strategies for AI/AN communities. The intended outcomes for the Tribal-led MMRC Self-Assessment project include: Understanding the unique needs of Tribes for maintaining a successful MMRC, increasing knowledge capacity in AI/AN maternal mortality prevention efforts, and increasing partnerships among Tribes and Tribal organizations. To download the application packet and read more about the project, click here. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, Dental Public Health Dentistry, and Dental Hygiene. The purpose of this program is to enhance predoctoral dental, dental hygiene, and other oral health care trainee’s clinical ability to care for populations and individuals with medically complex health conditions, special and/or behavioral health care needs, and focus on patient-centered care so that students gain a better understanding of the social determinants of health, in order to improve the oral health of vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations.

Eligible applicants include accredited schools of dentistry or dental hygiene, public or private nonprofits hospitals, or other public or private nonprofit entities which the Secretary of Education has determined are capable of carrying out such grants to plan, develop, and operate an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry for dental students, dental hygienists, or other approved primary care trainees such as dental therapists that emphasizes training for public health dentistry. Tribes and Tribal organizations are eligible to apply provided they can carry out grants to plan, develop, and operate an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry for dental hygiene students, or dental hygienists, or other approved primary care dental trainees as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). All training activities must be conducted by an accredited entity. Programs in the process of receiving accreditation may apply; however, the applicant or partner organization(s) must be accredited by the Secretary of Education or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Read more here. 

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.

Did you Know that Tribes are the Main Providers of Public Health Screenings in their Communities? 

Screening for risk factors of disease is an important part of prevention. For example, screening for obesity and screening for hunger can help address those factors and prevent diabetes! Learn more about the screening capacity of Tribes from the Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS) report here.  

Ways to Recognize Your Stress and Get Help During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Emergency Partners Information Connection (EPIC) has provided information to recognize all kinds of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to help relieve that stress. Some tips that American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) can use to relieve stress include:

On November 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that as part of the new phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign has begun for children ages 5 to 11 years old, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has released a Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation. This PDF helps Americans to navigate the serious threat of health misinformation, especially online. Read more.

On November 10, 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that until April 1, 2022, the funding to support all eligible COVID-19 work will continue at a 100% federal cost share. This funding will be available to local, state, Tribal or territorial governments and certain non-profit organizations for eligible costs associated with ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts and vaccine initiatives. Read more.

On November 8, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a joint letter to school officials. These two departments urged school officials to (1) host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at their school(s), (2) distribute information about the COVID-19 vaccine to all families including American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families with children ages 5–11 years, and (3) hold conversations with their school communities on the COVID-19 vaccine. To assist with implementation the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided considerations for planning school-located vaccination (SLV) clinics for any routinely recommended vaccine as well as COVID-19 vaccine. This guidance should be used in conjunction with guidance for planning vaccination clinics held at satellite, temporary, or off-site locations and the satellite, temporary, and off-site vaccination clinic supply checklist. The COVID-19 Public Education Campaign a campaign created by HHS provided a guide for hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics at schools. Tribal Schools can download, print, and share these materials. Note that, when printing this document as PDF, make sure to use your browser’s print settings to set page margins and remove the header and footer. For the best experience, use Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. Widespread vaccination across Indian Country is important to protect Tribal communities, including children ages 5-11 years old who are now eligible for the vaccine. School based vaccination clinics is one way to reach Tribal citizens who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and other routinely recommended vaccination. Read more.

Mothers are cherished, sacred members of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, and hold distinct roles of nourishing, teaching, and leading their families. For many, pregnancy can be an exciting, joyous time, and also a time when you may experience numerous physical and mental changes. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and amplify the ways in which AI/AN mothers, partners, caregivers, and community members can best keep mothers and babies healthy and safe during pregnancy and beyond. This knowledge is essential to protecting Native families and communities.

To do this, CDC is contracting with Grey and Gray, a Native creative agency, and the Fors Marsh Group to conduct online focus groups. They are requesting input from AI/AN mothers and the people who help them during pregnancy/birth (e.g., partners, elders, family, midwives, traditional birth attendants, doulas, nurses or other healthcare workers, etc.). What is shared will lead to better support and services for Native families in your area and across the US. This online focus group pays $100 for those who qualify for this 90-minute group discussion. If you or someone you know might be interested, contact Fors Marsh at [email protected].

The Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center’s IDEA-NW Project, together with an inter-disciplinary team of experts from across the nation, developed NativeDATA. This is a free online resource that offers practical guidance for Tribes and Native-serving organizations on obtaining and sharing health data. NativeDATA is an initiative of IDEA-NW, a project working to improve data and enhance access for Tribes in the Pacific Northwest and across Indian Country. Read more.

In July 2020, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities to ensure that research efforts would be inclusive of and benefit communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Through the CEAL Alliance, NIH is funding teams across 21 states to conduct community engaged research and outreach to address misinformation, mistrust, and help strengthen COVID-19 vaccine confidence as well as access to prevention, testing and treatment. Several resources are available including the CEAL Resource Catalog and Content Toolkit.

The CEAL Resource Catalog includes resources such as FAQs, fact sheets, infographics, and videos you can share on different COVID-19 topics including, but not limited to, vaccine ingredients, vaccine types, and tips for community outreach and engagement. Click here to view the Resource Catalog.

The CEAL Content Toolkit includes infographics, social media, and videos coupled with images and post copy for you to easily share in your newsletters, website, and social media. The content highlights vaccine and clinical research materials and links to additional content found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 toolkits. Click here to view the Content Toolkit. Suggested social media post copy is available here.

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, MPH

Program Manager, Public Health Policy and Programs 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, November 18, 2021, 5:15 PM ET

Covid-19 Community Corps members can join this free virtual event on Thursday, November 18 to hear about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for kids. Presenters are Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and public health experts in the Parents Leadership Corps. Register here.

Today! Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7:00 PM ET

Covid-19 Community Corps members can join the “En Confianza” event on Thursday, November 18 to hear about fertility and the COVID-19 Vaccines, a series hosted primarily in Spanish by La Red Hispana and the We Can Do This campaign. This event is for those parents or parents-to-be who are worried to get COVID-19 vaccine. Join via Facebook.

Tomorrow! Friday, November 19, 2021, from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to announce the 2021 Don't Miss Your Shot: COVID-19 Youth Summit. The Youth Summit will be virtually held on Friday, November 19, 2021.

Register for the Summit here.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is pleased to invite you to their 2nd Annual Virtual Summit: Healing in a Time of Truth and Justice, to be held on Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20, 2021.

This is also a time for action. NABS will be providing the latest updates on the bill that has been introduced into Congress for a Truth and Healing Commission on U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, including ways that you can support this crucial legislation. There is an international groundswell of support for recognizing and seeking accountability for the harms done during the assimilative Indian boarding school era—so we know we must act now.

Register here.

The Harvard T.H. CHAN, School of Public Health will hold a webinar on “Understanding Long COVID: The Unseen Public Health Crisis” on Friday, November 19, 2021. Long COVID-19 now affects millions around the world, its lasting symptoms prevent people from working, socializing, and carrying on with their day-to-day lives. For some individuals, especially for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) who have been hit hard by COVID-19, the effects can cause an additional burden. We together need to raise awareness and better understand this disease in order to prevent the next public health crisis. Register here.

Native Roots Radio and the We Can Do This Campaign are hosting a townhall on Friday November 19. Tribal leadership, community advocates, and health experts will talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and the available vaccines in Indian Country. Watch it live on Facebook or on YouTube.

Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and our esteemed experts to discuss the ways in which healing is critical to prevent against future violence in Tribal communities. Last year, NIHB hosted a series of conversations with Tribal public health practitioners, service providers, and experts to strengthen understanding about current practices, programs, policies and needs for violence prevention in Tribal communities. One of the things we heard during those sessions was the need to focus on Tribal ways of healing in order to prevent violence.

Register here!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announced that the Clinical Investigator Training Course (CITC), previously conducted in-person (pre-pandemic) will be an abbreviated, virtual update rather than a full course. The agency is hopeful that the full course will resume in 2022.

Register for this training webinar.