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.

To increase vaccination coverage and protect more people from COVID-19, including the more transmissible Delta variant, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will require more than 25,000 members of its health care workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Staff at the Indian Health Service (IHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) who serve in federally-operated health care and clinical…