Covering Indian Country – June 2020

June 2020

Spotlight: Outreach to increase childhood vaccination rates

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, both Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended that children—especially those ages 2 years and younger—continue receiving routine immunizations (PDF, 688 KB, 2 pp) and other preventive health care services (PDF, 965 KB, 2 pp) on schedule.

This messaging is important right now, as recently released CDC data demonstrates that fewer children were vaccinated during the first several months of 2020, compared with the same period last year.

Declining immunization rates make outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases more likely as social distancing requirements are relaxed. Such outbreaks would seriously threaten the health of families and communities throughout Indian Country.

Outreach to ensure Native children are immunized on time is absolutely critical.

Outreach workers in tribal communities can help address the problem of dangerously low vaccination rates by:

• Encouraging people to visit IHS, tribal, and urban Indian health facilities for immunizations and other necessary medical care—these trusted facilities are certified by CMS who oversees their quality programs
• Reminding parents and other caregivers that immunizations are essential health benefits (PDF, 2.5 MB, 2 pp)
• Explaining the precautions that clinics and health care providers take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during well-child visits (PDF, 498 KB, 2 pp)
• Letting people know that CMS continues to oversee quality at IHS and tribal hospital facilities

Additionally, IHS urges Indian health care providers and other tribal entities to incorporate developmental and behavioral health screening services into immunization visits whenever possible.

June: Summer safety

Health observances

Sun safety tips for men

June is both Men’s Health Month and National Safety Month, an ideal time to highlight sun safety tips for men.

Skin cancer is more common in men than women, and too much exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight increases skin cancer risk. Skin cancer symptoms include unusual looking moles and sores that do not heal.

Help promote early detection and the prevention of skin cancer by encouraging men and boys in your life to:

• Get checked for moles with irregular shapes, jagged borders, or uneven colors
• Seek shade between 10 am and 4 pm
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the face and eyes
• Wear lightweight pants and long-sleeved shirts for additional protection when possible
• Apply a thick layer of sunscreen, with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher, at least 15 minutes before going outside, even on cloudy or overcast days

Education to promote HIV testing and combat stigma

In observance of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, check out Positively Native, a toolkit created to help combat HIV- and AIDS-related stigma within Native communities. The toolkit includes a:

• 12-minute video sharing 3 HIV-positive people’s stories about how they overcame stigma
• Brief PowerPoint presentation on the basics of HIV
• Facilitator’s guide to help lead discussions on HIV/AIDS and stigma

Medications are available to help manage HIV infection and prevent transmission to an HIV-positive person’s partner. However, many people who have HIV do not realize they are infected. Your efforts to address HIV- and AIDS-related stigma will increase the number of Native people who are tested and treated.

Additional resources

COVID-19 materials available for tribal use

A longtime partner of tribal communities, JHCAIH is on the frontlines of work to ensure Native people have food, water, cleaning supplies, and personal protective equipment. JHCAIH has also coordinated with IHS and tribal public health departments to support COVID-19 surveillance, education, and case follow-up within reservation communities.

Report highlights progress in addressing diabetes

A recently published report (PDF, 501 KB, 8 pp) is the first study to document measurable progress in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities’ fight against diabetes.

The report’s authors analyzed Indian Health Service data and found that the number of AI/AN adults with diabetes has significantly decreased since 2013. One likely reason for the decrease is improved access to diabetes-related nutrition, weight management, and physical activity initiatives, including those implemented at Special Diabetes Program for Indians sites.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to sustain diabetes prevention, treatment, and surveillance efforts throughout Indian Country. Diabetes is more common among AI/ANs, compared with other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. People who have diabetes and are infected with the COVID-19 virus are at high risk for severe illness.