{"id":5774,"date":"2020-12-14T20:50:05","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T01:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=5774"},"modified":"2020-12-15T12:51:49","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T17:51:49","slug":"covid-19-vaccine-arrives-in-indian-country-as-cases-continue-to-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/12\/14\/covid-19-vaccine-arrives-in-indian-country-as-cases-continue-to-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Indian Country as cases continue to rise"},"content":{"rendered":"<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-attachment-id=\"5777\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/12\/14\/covid-19-vaccine-arrives-in-indian-country-as-cases-continue-to-rise\/ihscovid19vaccine-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/15\/ihscovid19vaccine.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1152\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"ihscovid19vaccine\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/15\/ihscovid19vaccine-1024x768.jpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/15\/ihscovid19vaccine.jpeg\" alt=\"ihscovid19vaccine\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5777\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Cmdr. Erica Harker, left, an Indian Health Service Navajo Area pharmacy consultant and a member of the Zuni Tribe, and Gallup Indian Medical Center Chief of Pharmacy Vicky Chavez prepare COVID-19 vaccines to be redistributed from GIMC to other health care facilities on the Navajo Nation, December 14, 2020. Photo: <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/media\/set\/?vanity=IndianHealthService&#038;set=a.3520829348011555>IHS<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h1-responsive\">COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Indian Country as cases continue to rise<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive\">&#8216;A historic day in this fight&#8217;<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, December 14, 2020<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFacilities across Indian Country have begun distributing a newly approved <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19<\/a> vaccine but the vast majority of tribal citizens will have to wait before they can be protected from a disease that continues to ravage their communities.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nFrom <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndianHealthService\/posts\/3520690774692079>Ojibwe territory in northern  Minnesota<\/a> to the largest reservation in the United States, the shipments of the coronavirus vaccine began <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/12\/14\/photos-indian-health-service\/>arriving at Indian Health Service facilities<\/a> on Monday. The doses are part of a first wave of distributions the agency will be  receiving this month.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;The IHS has been a consistent voice and advocate for vaccine allocation across the Indian health system and tribal communities,&#8221;  Rear Admiral Francis Frazier, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe,  said during a <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/12\/11\/indian-health-service-announces-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-plan-for-indian-country\/>media call on Friday<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"275\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/playlists\/1177073008&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\" title=\"indianz\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">indianz<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\/sets\/indian-health-service-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-media-call\" title=\"Indian Health Service COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Media Call\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Health Service COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Media Call<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Audio: <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/12\/11\/indian-health-service-announces-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-plan-for-indian-country\/>Indian Health Service announces COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for Indian Country &#8211; December 11, 2020<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAltogether, the IHS expects to receive more than 64,000 doses by the end of December, officials said on the call. As part of Phase 1A of the the agency&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine plan, all of the initial doses are being set aside for health care professionals and residents of long-term centers, such as those serving the elderly.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;This would allow IHS to vaccinate 100 percent of its health care work force and residents of long term care facilities not accounted for by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,&#8221; said Frazier, who leads the agency&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/coronavirus\/vaccine\/\">COVID-19 vaccine task force<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nBut with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise across Indian Country, the IHS does not yet know when the vaccine will be available to those other than elders and front-line workers. Still,  Frazier and other officials are optimistic that the average tribal citizen will benefit in the coming months.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;As the vaccine supply increases, IHS, tribal health programs and urban Indian organizations will be able to prioritize their local populations based on factors such as age, existing health problems and other considerations that increase the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19,&#8221; said Frazier.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;The IHS is well prepared and positioned to begin COVID-19 vaccinations,&#8221; Frazier added. \r\n&#8220;Our ultimate goal is to ensure that safe and effective vaccines can reach Indian Country as quickly and equitably as possible.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_www-facebook-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndianHealthService\/posts\/3511015625659594\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/31\/131045666_3511015245659632_1372910778237470679_n.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Health Service\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndianHealthService\/posts\/3511015625659594\">\n\t\t\tIndian Health Service\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IndianHealthService\/posts\/3511015625659594\">\n\t\t\t<p>Today, IHS senior staff visited #OperationWarpSpeed and received a demonstration of #COVID19 vaccine storage units. The IHS is coordinating closely with Operation Warp Speed in preparation for the&#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/rsrc.php\/y1\/r\/ay1hV6OlegS.ico\" alt=\"www.facebook.com\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\twww.facebook.com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe IHS began moving quickly to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, two  commercial companies whose emergency use authorization application was <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/12\/12\/food-and-drug-administration\/>approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a> on Friday evening. The IHS expects to receive 22,425 doses of the  product, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/15\/COVID-19VaccineAllocationbyArea.pdf\">figures provided by the agency<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nA second vaccine, produced by Moderna, is expected to receive  emergency use authorization (EUA)  later in the  week. The IHS anticipates receiving 46,000 doses of this product, bringing the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Phase 1A to 68,425, according to the agency.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;Swift and equitable distribution of this vaccine, and others that may also receive an EUA, will help slow and eventually stop the spread of the virus across our nation and tribal communities,&#8221; Stacy  Bohlen, the chief executive officer of the <a href=https:\/\/www.nihb.org\/>National Indian Health Board<\/a>, said on Monday.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Phase 1A  doses will be distributed to IHS facilities, tribal centers and urban Indian programs in 11 <a href=https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/locations\/>areas across Indian Country<\/a>. The plan excludes Alaska, as the facilities in the <a href=https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/locations\/alaska-area\/>Alaska Area<\/a> have chosen to work with the state government, federal officials said on the media call.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-2\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">IHS Area<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Anticipated Pfizer Doses <br \/>\n<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Anticipated Moderna Doses<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Albuquerque<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">975<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2600<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Bemidji<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1950<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Billings<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">975<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">California<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">975<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Great Plains<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1950<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Nashville<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">975<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Navajo<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3900<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Oklahoma City<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">5850<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">8900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Phoenix<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3900<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7300<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Portland<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">975<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2300<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Tucson<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">0<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<tfoot>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">TOTAL<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">22425<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">46000<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tfoot>\n<\/table>\n\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe   11 areas  will be allocated the  COVID-19  vaccine  roughly tied to the  service population in their region. That means the regions with   larger numbers of patients &#8212; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/oklahomacity\/\">Oklahoma City Area<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/locations\/navajo-area\/\">Navajo Area<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/locations\/phoenix-area\/\">Phoenix Area<\/a> &#8212; will receive more   doses.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe Oklahoma City, Navajo and Phoenix areas happen to be the regions with the highest rates of recent COVID-19 infections among patients. According to <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/12\/14\/indian-health-service-department-of-health-and-human-services-216\/>IHS data from December 12<\/a>, the 7-day positive rates in these three areas is far higher than the national average.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cToday is a historic day in this fight against COVID-19,\u201d\r\nsaid <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NNPrezNez\">President Jonathan Nez<\/a> of the <a href=https:\/\/www.navajo-nsn.gov\/>Navajo Nation<\/a>, where COVID-19 cases have surged steadily since the middle of November, following months of progress in slowing the spread of the disease. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWith the vaccine in hand for our health care workers and those living in nursing homes, it provides more hope and optimism for our health care workers who have worked non-stop and for all of our Navajo people,\u201d Nez said on Monday. \u201cWe have to be mindful that this will be a long process and we cannot let down our guard.\u201d\r\n<p><\/pz.\r\nBut the region with the highest 7-day positivity rate  won't be receiving any Pfizer doses at all, according to the IHS. The Tucson Area will have to wait for the Moderna vaccine before it receives the 900  doses been allocated  for its health care professionals and long-term care residents.\r\n<p><\/p> \r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_twitter-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1338602699412168704\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/31\/qwsf8fwm_400x400-19.jpg\" alt=\"indianz.com (@indianz) on X\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1338602699412168704\">\n\t\t\tindianz.com (@indianz) on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1338602699412168704\">\n\t\t\t<p>The Indian Health Service has begun distributing #COVID19 vaccine doses to Indian Country. Will you take the #Coronavirus vaccine if offered to you by @IHSgov or by your tribal nation? https:\/\/t.co\/3Qll1CUhG1 #COVID19Vaccine #CoronavirusVaccine<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"X (formerly Twitter)\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tX (formerly Twitter)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nStill, as the vaccine becomes more widely available, the IHS plans to utilize prior experience in protecting tribal citizens from viruses. The Pfizer\/BioNTech and Moderna products are notable in that they  require recipients to receive two doses to become inoculated. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve had practice with this, with the shingles vaccine, which is a two-dose series,\u201d said Commander Kailee Fretland, a descendant of the White Earth Nation who is the deputy lead on the IHS COVID-19 vaccine task force.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cSo  our facilities  have created education pathways of getting those patients back for their second dose, so this is something we are familiar with,\u201d Fretland said on the media call on Friday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAccording to  Pfizer and BioNTech, their COVID-19 vaccine was  found to be more than 90 percent effective during clinical trials conducted over the last few months. More than 43,500 people participated in the study, the companies said.\r\n<p><\/p><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nHowever, the companies have not  provided details on the number of American Indian and Alaska Native people, if any, who participated. The same goes for Morderna, whose documents lump Native people into an <a href=https:\/\/www.modernatx.com\/sites\/default\/files\/content_documents\/mRNA-1273-Update-11-16-20-Final.pdf>\u201cAll Others\u201d category<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe know the task ahead poses many challenges, from tricky distribution logistics to coordinating vaccination events on tight timelines to data reporting every step of the way, however it is more important than ever to meet these challenges head on,\u201d said CEO Bohlen of the National Indian Health Board.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cTribes are ready to take on these challenges to protect the health of their citizens,\u201d said Bohlen,  who is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAccording to figures provided to Indianz.Com, the   <strong><em>IHS user population<\/em><\/strong> is  1,662,834 as of 2019. The <strong><em>user population<\/em><\/strong> is defined as the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who  have lived within an IHS service delivery area and have received health care at an IHS or tribal facility during the previous three years.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nThe <strong><em> IHS service population<\/em><\/strong>, on the other hand, is a much higher number. According to the agency, 2,562,290 American Indians and Alaska Natives   were eligible to receive   services through the IHS in 2019.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Indian Country is receiving a new COVID-19 vaccine but the vast majority of tribal citizens will have to wait before they can be protected from a disease that continues to ravage their communities.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5777,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[19,1],"tags":[42,5,128,121,945,210,28,24,368,47,372,6],"class_list":["post-5774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-national","tag-arizona","tag-coronavirus","tag-elders","tag-employment","tag-fda","tag-ihs","tag-jonathan-nez","tag-navajo","tag-nihb","tag-race","tag-stacy-bohlen","tag-urban-indians","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-1v8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/15\/ihscovid19vaccine.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}