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Native Americans are among the populations with the lowest rate of vaccinations, whether it’s for flu, measles, COVID-19, or hepatitis B. Health professionals urge parents to immunize their infants against more than a dozen serious diseases including polio, pertussis, diphtheria, and mumps. But poverty, lack of health insurance, and distance to health providers are among the barriers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says keep rates for Native Americans low. On top of that, misinformation and confusion about vaccines creates additional hesitation for parents. We’ll talk with doctors about the factors that might improve immunization rates as a way to improve overall health.
Break 1 Music: Wiconi (song) Primeaux & Mike (artist) Road to Peace (album)
Break 2 Music: Come to Life (song) Toni Heartless (artist) Dark Days (album)
I can see mask making with communities being very healing, maybe even reinvigorating to people who work in health care. Have you been able to host the event with health care staff?
Hi there, I agree! And yes, we have! So far, our program has only had 2 opportunities to share this event with healthcare staff, and we are finding that its extremely beneficial! Based on the feedback, we’re hearing that participating in the activity provided the healthcare staff the space to really debrief their lived experience and it also gave folks a renewed energy to “get back to normal.” If you are a healthcare worker in Alaska, or know of a healthcare worker that would benefit form this activity please email immunizations@anthc.org