On November 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to authorize the use of a single booster dose for all individuals ages 18 and older after the completion of their primary vaccine series with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine (2 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine).

Later that same day, the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded their recommendations for booster shots to include all adults ages 18 and older who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months after their second dose.

COVID-19 boosters are now recommended for all American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who are 18 or older and:

Read more from the FDA here, and read more from the CDC here.

With the holidays quickly approaching, families are getting ready to celebrate and enjoy holiday traditions. As you plan to gather with family, friends, and others in your Tribal community, it is important to gather as safely as possible whether it be a  small gathering, such as small ritual or ceremony, or larger like a community potluck. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided some useful information that everyone can use to make gatherings and travel safer during this time of the year. As the Delta variant continues to circulate in the U.S., and around the world, it is recommended that people continue to take precautions such as washing their hands and wearing masks as well as getting their COVID-19 vaccine.

NIHB is requesting applications for a new opportunity for supporting American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health through Tribal-led maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs). NIHB anticipates funding up to 12 proposals from Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations for up to $7,500 each. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in a self-assessment over an 8-month period to explore key components of Tribal-led MMRCs and assess their readiness to establish and sustain a Tribal-led MMRC. Tribal-led MMRCs that respect American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture may result in identification of meaningful and effective maternal mortality prevention strategies for AI/AN communities. The intended outcomes for the Tribal-led MMRC Self-Assessment project include: Understanding the unique needs of Tribes for maintaining a successful MMRC, increasing knowledge capacity in AI/AN maternal mortality prevention efforts, and increasing partnerships among Tribes and Tribal organizations. To download the application packet and read more about the project, click here. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, Dental Public Health Dentistry, and Dental Hygiene. The purpose of this program is to enhance predoctoral dental, dental hygiene, and other oral health care trainee’s clinical ability to care for populations and individuals with medically complex health conditions, special and/or behavioral health care needs, and focus on patient-centered care so that students gain a better understanding of the social determinants of health, in order to improve the oral health of vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations.

Eligible applicants include accredited schools of dentistry or dental hygiene, public or private nonprofits hospitals, or other public or private nonprofit entities which the Secretary of Education has determined are capable of carrying out such grants to plan, develop, and operate an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry for dental students, dental hygienists, or other approved primary care trainees such as dental therapists that emphasizes training for public health dentistry. Tribes and Tribal organizations are eligible to apply provided they can carry out grants to plan, develop, and operate an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry for dental hygiene students, or dental hygienists, or other approved primary care dental trainees as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). All training activities must be conducted by an accredited entity. Programs in the process of receiving accreditation may apply; however, the applicant or partner organization(s) must be accredited by the Secretary of Education or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Read more here. 

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking qualified candidates for the following open positions in the Public Health Policy and Programs Department based in Washington, DC.

Job descriptions are available here.

Did you Know that Tribes are the Main Providers of Public Health Screenings in their Communities? 

Screening for risk factors of disease is an important part of prevention. For example, screening for obesity and screening for hunger can help address those factors and prevent diabetes! Learn more about the screening capacity of Tribes from the Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS) report here.  

Ways to Recognize Your Stress and Get Help During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Emergency Partners Information Connection (EPIC) has provided information to recognize different kinds of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to help relieve that stress. Some tips that American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) can use to relieve stress include:

On November 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that as part of the new phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign has begun for children ages 5 to 11 years old, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has released a Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation. This PDF helps Americans to navigate the serious threat of health misinformation, especially online. Read more.

The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) Tribal Epidemiology Center sponsored two new toolkits to assist Tribal Response planning. The After Action Review (AAR) toolkit serves as a planning tool outlining the After Action Review process, complete with extra tools that can be found in the appendices. The After Action Review (AAR) Toolkit – Behavioral Health Edition also serves as a planning tool. The Behavioral Health Edition features best practices, programmatic/funding resources, and improvement planning concepts for behavioral health areas such as adverse childhood experiences, suicide prevention, and intimate partner violence.

View the toolkits here.

Mothers are cherished, sacred members of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, and hold distinct roles of nourishing, teaching, and leading their families. For many, pregnancy can be an exciting, joyous time, and also a time when you may experience numerous physical and mental changes. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and amplify the ways in which AI/AN mothers, partners, caregivers, and community members can best keep mothers and babies healthy and safe during pregnancy and beyond. This knowledge is essential to protecting Native families and communities.

To do this, CDC is contracting with Grey and Gray, a Native creative agency, and the Fors Marsh Group to conduct online focus groups. They are requesting input from AI/AN mothers and the people who help them during pregnancy/birth (e.g., partners, elders, family, midwives, traditional birth attendants, doulas, nurses or other healthcare workers, etc.). What is shared will lead to better support and services for Native families in your area and across the US. This online focus group pays $100 for those who qualify for this 90-minute group discussion. If you or someone you know might be interested, contact Fors Marsh at insights@forsmarshgroup.com.

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler, MPH

Program Manager, Public Health Policy and Programs at cwheeler@nihb.org or 202-507-4081.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great tool to help you make decisions on when to seek testing and medical care. Tribal members who are 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 can use the tool to help decide when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Tribal members can use the on-line tool to find recommended actions and resources based on their response to questions in the Self-checker tool. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announced that the Clinical Investigator Training Course (CITC), previously conducted in-person (pre-pandemic) will be an abbreviated, virtual update rather than a full course. The agency is hopeful that the full course will resume in 2022.

Register for this training webinar.