Tribes allegedly increased vaccination rates in rural Arizona | Health, Medicine. & Fitness

Francis, who lives on a page near the Utah border and manages care packages, said: Vaccine drive for Navajo and Hopi relief funds.

In a pandemic where urban and rural vaccination rates are sharply divided nationwide, Arizona has higher rural vaccination rates than populated counties, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Is the only state. Public health experts believe that this trend was driven primarily by COVID-19: a group that lost a disproportionate number of lives to Native Americans.

The tribal community remained more vulnerable to the virus due to underlying health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as multiple generations sharing a home. Despite the curfew, weekend blockade, mask obligations, and business closures, incidents and deaths were piled up. By April 2020, Navajo Nation, including parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, More aggressively attacked by coronavirus than any other tribe..

The catastrophic loss of the elderly, in particular, has helped promote vaccination as a selfless act. Holly Van Lew, co-leader of the Federal Indian Health Services Task Force, which deploys vaccines nationwide, acknowledges that Navajo Nation officials are constantly emphasizing the message.

“It really comes from a different perspective. Liu, a clinical pharmacist at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, said,” You also need to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “Instead of” you need to protect each other as members of the community. ” There is. “

Native Americans make up a significant portion of five of the seven counties designated as rural in the CDC report. According to the 2020 census, it accounts for almost three-quarters of the 71,000 people in Apache County and almost half of the 110,000 inhabitants of Navajo County. They are estimated at 10% to 15% in the three small counties of Gira, Graham and Lapas.

There are a total of 15 counties in Arizona. The CDC has determined that a county is rural if there is no substantial “urban cluster” or if the county has a population of 10,000 to 50,000.

Between December 2020 and January this year, the overall proportion of people in counties who were vaccinated and at least partially vaccinated was 86.1%. According to the report, it was 69.3% in urban counties.

NationwideUrban counties outperform rural counties by 75.4% to 58.5%.

Another picture emerges from the state data. Former Maricopa County Public Health Director Dr. Bob England said the state dashboard figures lead to an estimated 70% percentage in urban counties and 66% in rural counties.

However, the Arizona Department of Health Services has not received vaccine data from Indian Health Services, which provides medical care to more than 2.5 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives, both inside and outside the tribal lands.

“According to data included in the CDC report but not in the state dashboard, the only reason these local counties were ranked higher than cities is because of tribes to vaccination campaigns. I can say 100% sure that it is due to the participation of. ” Former department manager Will Humble. “There is no way it can be anything else.”

The two regional counties in the CDC report, with few Native Americans, were Santa Cruz near the US-Mexico border and Greenlee on the New Mexico border.

The immunization rate for Santa Claus was very high at 146% in the population of about 46,000. Officials say the numbers come from workers and visitors from Mexico. Seasonal workers in the county’s main industry, agricultural warehouses, are operating mobile health units in the border area between the county and the University of Arizona School of Health Sciences, said Jeff Terrell, director of the county’s health department.

“You see the numbers we put out there,” Terrell said. “If you think about border vaccination sites, add it to the county-yes, I think that was the factor.”

For counties with a large native population, outreach included some unique strategies. The IHS Task Force has worked with federal, state, and local partners on vaccine clinics, radio, and print advertising in their native language. They also met the people they lived in. Public health nurses went door-to-door to the tribal community and vaccinated the entire family, Van Liu said.

Organizations such as the Navajo and Hopi COVID-19 Relief Fund sponsor vaccine drives with T-shirts and gift cards. They created “influencer” posters for TikTok videos, newspaper ads, and even social media. Influential people are members of credible tribes such as the Navajo professional golfer Notavigay III, said Wendyati, the fund’s public health education program manager.

“One of the most important steps to regaining the health of our community is to get the COVID-19 vaccine!” Read the quote from the smiling Begay poster.

The tribal vaccine drive faced a lot of resistance. No one knows more than Hector Vegae, who hesitated to vaccinate but had to be able to work for the Navajo and Hopi COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Even with all the incentives, he cannot convince everyone.

“All we can do is share our personal stories, encouragement and acceptance,” Vegae said. “In this series of tasks, you can’t push it into their throats as much as you want people to boost.”

Terry Tang is a member of the Associated Press Racial and Ethnic Team. Follow her on her Twitter https://twitter.com/ttangAP