The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is committed to advocating on behalf of all Tribal Governments and American Indian/Alaska Natives while: promoting healthy practices; preventing diseases and injuries; providing basic resources and infrastructure to Tribes; and researching and developing tribal, local, state, and national health policy. To view all our public health resources, please visit www.https://nihb.org/public_health/public_health.php | |
Thursday, September 1, 2022 | |
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FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines For Use As a Booster Dose
On August 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose at least two months following primary or booster vaccination. The bivalent vaccines, also referred to as “updated boosters,” include two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, one of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. This will provide broad protection against COVID-19, and will also provide better protection against the omicron variant.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years of age and older, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older. Read the full update here.
However, it is important to note that COVID-19 cases, hospitalization, and death rates are still high across Indian Country. Because of this, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) recommends you continue to show Acts of Love in your community by wearing a face mask in crowded areas, washing your hands often, keeping your distance from others (at least six feet), and staying home if you are not feeling well.
For more information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 resources, visit NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center. Please direct any COVID-19 questions to Darby Galligher, MPH, Project Coordinator, at DGalligher@https://nihb.org.
Useful COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
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Happening Tomorrow! White House Tribal Update on the Monkeypox Response
On September 2, the White House will be hosting a virtual Tribal Update on the Monkeypox response. Please note that this call is closed for press and not for attribution. This event is free and open to everyone but is likely most relevant for Tribal Leaders, public health officials, and Tribal health professionals.
September 2, 2022
3:00 PM Eastern Time
Register Here
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Infection Prevention and Control of Monkeypox in Healthcare Settings
The number of monkeypox/orthopox virus cases continues to rise in the U.S., and as of August 31, 2022, there are 18,417 confirmed cases. The early data for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/ANs) have not been reported, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF); however, Tribal healthcare workers should be alert for patients with rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox and test them if warranted. Should there be a confirmed case within a Tribal healthcare facility, Tribal healthcare workers need to know the infection control precautions that prevent the spread of infection in healthcare settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tools to respond effectively and is working to help stop the spread of the virus and end the epidemic.
The infection control recommendations in healthcare settings have been updated and include:
All the CDC infection control recommendations for monkeypox in healthcare settings can be found here.
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White House Monkeypox Response Team Announces New Plans to Support Large LGBTQIA+ Events and Equity Interventions to Reach Communities at Highest Risk of Contracting the Virus
On August 30, the White House National Monkeypox Response team announced new actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to combat the monkeypox (MPV) outbreak and protect individuals most at risk of contracting the virus. The Administration is providing additional vaccines and support to states and cities holding events that convene large groups of LGBTQIA+ individuals, specifically gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. The White House also announced a new pilot to surge vaccine availability and other prevention resources to communities of color in light of recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data showing the disproportionate reach of the virus among Black and Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
Last week, the White House National Monkeypox Response team announced that as a result of recent efforts to quickly distribute vaccines, and as a result of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of intradermal administration of the JYNNEOS vaccine, the United States is approaching being able to provide two doses of vaccine to the 1.6 million individuals across the country most at risk of contracting the virus.
Read the full factsheet here.
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The National Indian Health Board Releases National PHICCS Survey to Capture Data on Tribal Public Health Capacity
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is pleased to announce the release of the second iteration of the Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS).
PHICCS is a national scan that is conducted every three years by NIHB. The purpose of PHICCS is to determine the capacity of Tribal public health and health organizations. NIHB conducted the first iteration of this assessment in 2019, leading to the publication of the PHICCS Report in 2020.
The 2022 PHICCS survey has been shared with Tribal Health/Public Health Directors and Tribal Administrators working at federally recognized Tribes across the nation. NIHB encourages these leaders in Tribal public health to complete the PHICCS survey, which is dependent on Tribal entity engagement. Please join NIHB in encouraging and supporting participation in this vital survey.
Visit NIHB’s PHICCS webpage for more information and to view a copy of the scan instrument.
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Funding and Opportunities | |
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Update on COVIDTests.gov
On August 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would suspend taking orders for free tests through COVIDTests.gov because Congress has not provided the COVID-19 funding to restock the nation’s stockpile of COVID-19 tests. The last day to place new orders will be Friday, September 2.
Learn more and order tests here.
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2023 SDPI Application Now Available!
The Indian Health Service (IHS) recently announced the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) 2023 application package is now available. To Access the SDPI 2023 Grant Application:
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Click on the Grants.gov link.
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Copy and paste the following Funding Announcement Number in the search box in the upper right-hand corner of the grants.gov webpage: HHS-2023-IHS-SDPI-0001.
- Click the “GO” button or press the Enter key on your keyboard.
- From the Search Results, click on the hyperlinked “Opportunity Number”.
Review/note the following:
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Visit the Related Documents tab to review the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions.
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Visit the Package tab to Preview Application Forms.
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Applications will be submitted using the Workspace Application on the Grants.gov webpage.
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Follow the instructions provided on the Grants.gov Apply for Grants webpage to submit and track your application.
All applications must be submitted no later than Friday, October 7, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET / 10:59 PM CT / 9:59 PM MT / 8:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM AKT.
If you experience any difficulty completing or submitting your application package, visit the Grants.gov Support Center or contact Grants.gov support at [email protected] or via phone at (800) 518-4726.
For questions, email the Division of Diabetes at: [email protected]
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AmeriCorps Releases New Funding Opportunity
On August 10, 2022, AmeriCorps released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for Public Health AmeriCorps. The purpose of this NOFO is to invest in COVID-19 recovery, health equity, local public health, and create a pipeline of public health leaders. The application deadline is Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET. Additional information about the NOFO can be found here.
AmeriCorps also announced the 2023 AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grants and Planning Competition. Each year, AmeriCorps invests in federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) nations or Native-led organizations to address their communities’ greatest needs through national service programs. Through this NOFO, AmeriCorps seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources into disaster services like COVID-19 response, economic opportunities, education, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous language, civic and social engagement, healthy futures and veterans and military families.
Application Deadline: April 5, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
Additional Information can be found here.
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Request COVID-19 TA from NIHB!
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is available to provide policy analysis, resources, tools, capacity-building assistance as well as other Technical Assistance (TA) to assist Tribes and Tribal organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in learning more or would like to request TA, please use this link, or contact Darby Galligher, Project Coordinator, at DGalligher@https://nihb.org.
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CDC Publishes New Smoking and Tobacco Resource
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health has published a new supplement to the Best Practices User Guides called Tobacco Where You Live Supplement: Native Communities. These supplements assist state and local programs in understanding how commercial tobacco use varies within specific communities with the highest prevalence. The Native Communities supplement can aid state and municipal tobacco health professionals in working with Tribes on strategies for commercial tobacco cessation and respect for the use of traditional tobacco and learn from examples of Tribal leadership in the commercial tobacco prevention work.
The supplement on CDC’s Smoking & Tobacco Use is available here.
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NIHB Omicron Response Webinar
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Omicron can cause more infections and spread more easily than the Delta variant. Because of this, it remains important to protect yourself from COVID-19. Vaccinations and booster shots are widely available. Vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection are considered the best approach for curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines developed earlier in the pandemic produce an immune response that can recognize and block Omicron after a booster shot. This means vaccines help prevent serious illness, including hospitalization and death from Omicron. Join us as Dr. Nicole Redvers provides an update on Omicron, discusses the current guidelines in the context of Indigenous communities' risk, and reflects on what might be to come based on this variant.
For questions, contact Audrianna Marzette, Project Coordinator, Public Health Policy and Programs, at amarzette@https://nihb.org.
September 14, 2022
4:00 - 5:00 PM Eastern Time
Register here.
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Emergency Medicine for Rural & Indigenous Communities Conference 2022
The 4th Annual Emergency Medicine for Rural and Indigenous Communities (emRIC) Conference, formerly titled the Native American and Rural Emergency Medicine Conference, will be held September 15-17 in Flagstaff, AZ with both in-person and virtual attendance options. The conference offers emergency medicine education specifically targeting the unique challenges Native healthcare professionals face in caring for populations living in rural and Indigenous communities. All health professionals, including physicians, PAs, NPs, RNs, NAs, EMTs, paramedics, pharmacists, RTs, students, and trainees are encouraged to attend.
September 15-17, 2022
Register here.
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