fbpx
 
 The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)—a national health association made up of Native physicians— has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Indigenous youth.

As of current vaccination standards, most children are eligible for vaccines, and some are eligible for booster shots. Children aged 6 months through 4 years should get all COVID-19 primary series doses, according to CDC guidelines. Children 5 years and older should get all primary series doses and the booster dose recommended by the CDC, if eligible. People 12 years and older are recommended to receive one updated Pfizer or Moderna booster.

The AAIP national COVID-19 vaccine campaign is aimed specifically at Native communities to dispel vaccine myths, communicate specific health disparities, and use culturally-specific language to encourage community members to protect their children. According to aaipvax.org, children make up 18 percent of all COVID-19 cases, and Native children have lost caregivers to COVID-19 nearly five times more than white children.

 “As the pandemic has evolved, so have our efforts to protect our communities,” AAIP President Lukejohn Day said in a statement. “Child vaccinations against the COVID-19 pandemic are safe, effective and available to American Indians and Alaska Natives, and they’re a tool for maintaining our cultures and keeping friends and neighbors healthy. Vaccination is a community effort with a colossal community impact.”  

More Stories Like This

FIRST AMERICAN: Hopi/Navajo Runner Was 1st American to Finish 2023 LA Marathon
Structural racism, boarding school trauma contributes to oral health disparities for Native populations
WATCH: Native Bidaské with Podcast Co-hosts Crystal Hernandez and Shauna Humphreys
BC Indigenous Drug Users Describe Pattern of Forced Discharges From ED
Cherokee Nation Makes Big Investment in Overdose Prevention and Addiction Recovery

The Native News Health Desk is made possible by a generous grant from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation as well as sponsorship support from RxDestroyer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the American Dental Association. This grant funding and sponsorship support have no effect on editorial consideration in Native News Online. 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected]