On September 10, 2021, President Biden announced his COVID-19 Action Plan. He will be implementing a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy that uses the same science-based approach that has been successful in the past. The President’s plan to combat COVID-19 this fall has six main components: vaccinating the unvaccinated, furthering protection for the vaccinated, keeping schools safely open, increasing testing and requiring masking, protecting economic…

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), the federal agency that oversees BIE funded schools that educate American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in nearly two dozen states, issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees on Thursday, September 2, 2021. The mandate covers more than 2,800 faculty and staff at 53 schools and dormitories operated directly by the U.S. Bureau of Education in states including Arizona,…

What is ivermectin? It is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription medication used to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites. Ivermectin is NOT authorized or approved by the FDA for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel has also determined that there are currently insufficient data to recommend ivermectin for treatment…

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 Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine continues to be available under EUA for Native youth ages 12-15 years and…

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.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new resource for Tribal communities entitled “What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines.” The document contains frequently asked questions for before and after receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine. Read the Resource. Guidance and Tips for Tribal Community Living During COVID-19 Click Here to find all of the CDC resources for Tribal communities.