COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative: Tribes, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiians, and Indigenous Peoples

Focused outreach, education, and access efforts to promote vaccine equity in these disproportionately impacted communities.

Description

This initiative aims to ensure vaccine equity for Tribes, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiians, and Indigenous Peoples. Efforts focus on increasing access to vaccination sites and providing resources to the Tribes and Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Serving Organizations to provide outreach, education and mitigate barriers to accessing vaccines.

Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and 9 Tribes/Tribal and Indigenous People Serving Organizations (TIPSO) receive funding from May 2021 through June 2023. Some of these organizations work across multiple communities, and some may be funded under more than one component of the Vaccine Equity Initiative. See below for details about the specific actions, Tribes, and organizations being supported.

Specific actions

• Mobile clinics to increase access to members of these communities who face barriers in accessing vaccination sites
• Connect community leaders with leaders of local health departments to coordinate vaccine access and educational outreach to community members who live throughout Massachusetts
• Financial support for Indian Health Services and Tribal Health Services for vaccination distribution and outreach activities to their members

• Grants for Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Serving Organizations/Entities (TIPSOs) to:

  • Conduct outreach and decrease barriers to accessing vaccinations
  • Provide culturally relevant information and resources on vaccines
  • Develop or adapt educational and informational resources and distribute them through common community channels or social media
  • Partner with DPH to coordinate a community-based response

Total Funding	$1.4 million
Led by	DPH and Health Resources in Action (HRiA)
Funding through DPH	Amount: $125,115 Number of Grantees: 3 Eligibility: Two federally recognized Tribes or Title V Urban Indian Health Services Selected Grantees: The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah): $60,115 Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe: $45,000 Native American Lifelines (Urban Indian Health Service): $20,000 Relevant Links: Tribes and Tribal Serving Organizations Supporting Access to Culturally Appropriate COVID-19 Vaccination Information and COVID-19 Vaccinations Access to Culturally Appropriate COVID-19 Vaccination Information and COVID-19 Vaccinations
Funding available through HRiA	Amount: $184,000 (May 2021 – Dec. 2021) Number of Grantees: 4 Amount: $200,000 (January 2022 – June 2022) Number of Renewed Grantees: 4 Amount: $55,575 (March 2022 – June 2022) Number of New Grantees: 2 Amount: $579,000 (June 2022 - December 2022) Number of Renewed Grantees: 5 Eligibility: Tribes, Tribal serving organizations, and Indigenous Peoples serving organizations (TIPSO) are eligible. Excluding the Tribes, applicants must be Massachusetts based non-profit organizations serving these communities. Amount: $300,000 (January 2023 – June 2023))  Number of Renewed Grantees: 5  Eligibility: Tribes, Tribal serving organizations, and Indigenous Peoples serving organizations (TIPSO) are eligible. Excluding the Tribes, applicants must be Massachusetts based non-profit organizations serving these communities.  Selected Grantees: Organization TIPSO Initial Funding May 2021 – Dec. 2021 TIPSO Renewal Jan. 2022 – June 2022 TIPSO New Grantees March 2022 – June 2022 TIPSO Renewal June 2022 - Dec. 2022 TIPSO Renewal   Jan. 2023 – June 2023  Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores $44,000 $50,000    $79,000 $60,000 Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe $44,000 $50,000   $125,000 $60,000 Boston (NAICOB) $48,000  $50,000    $125,000 $60,000 Ohketeau Cultural Center $48,000  $50,000    $125,000 $60,000 Metrowest Worker Center (Casa do Trabalhador/Casa del Trabajador)     $41,325     Chappaquiddick Tribe of the Wampanoag Indian Nation Corporation     $14,250 $125,000 $60,000
Additional Resources	COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative: Community-specific vaccination data COVID-19 Community Impact Survey COVID-19 Interactive Data Dashboard Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard