Vaccine available for young teens

Posted by Arlyssa Becenti | May 14, 2021 | News |

WINDOW ROCK

Health care facilities on the Navajo Nation have begun to vaccinate adolescents age 12 to 15, President Jonathan Nez announced Thursday, adding that the goal is to vaccinate 5,000 young teen by this weekend.

Several facilities will be having large-scale drive-through events Saturday, Nez added.

“Together, we have to continue pushing back on COVID-19 and getting vaccinated is a big part of that effort,” said Nez, who took his 13-year-old son to Gallup Indian Medical Center to receive his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday.

The CDC vaccine data tracker shows that American Indian/ Alaska Natives as the group lead the nation’s vaccine effort. The data was collected from Dec. 14, 2020, to May 9, 2021.

So far 39 cases of the new COVID variants were reported on Navajo, the B117 P1, and B1427. The cases have been closely monitored, and there hasn’t been any spread.

The vast majority of patients currently being hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated, according to Nez.

“We are continuing to work on getting as many people vaccinated as possible,” said Dr. Amanda Burrage with Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation. “We are seeing many more cases in people that have not yet been vaccinated, and that is also true for people who have been hospitalized.”

Burrage encouraged teens to get vaccinated in order for schools to reopen.

Last week, graduation ceremony guidelines for high schools and tribal colleges were put in place. Outdoor, in-person graduations are being allowed for smaller schools.

“The people should be fully or partially vaccinated to attend,” said Burrage. “If someone is not fully vaccinated we would recommend they get a COVID test 24 to 48 hours prior to graduation and make sure they have the negative test result before they attend.”

People should not attend if they are in quarantine or isolation, if they have been exposed or had COVID-19 in the past two weeks, if they are sick with symptoms, or if they are waiting for test results, according to the Navajo Department of Health.

Schools should also screen attendees for symptoms before the event. No eating, drinking (except for bottled water) or concession are allowed for these events.

For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website: http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. Information: 928-871-7014.