KESHENA, WHERE THE MENOMINEE
NATION IN THE MIDST OF A
VACCINATION PROGRAM.
ONE TRIBE SWITCHED TO THE
FEDERAL INDIAN SERVICE.
OTHERS INCLUDING THE MENOMINEE
CONTINUED TO WORK WITH STATE
GOVERNMENT FOR VACCINE
ALLOCATION.
WE CHECK IN NOW WITH THE TRIBAL
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, DR. AMY
SLAGLE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HOW MANY VACCINATIONS DO YOU
NEED TO GI AND HOW MANY BE GIVEN
TO DATE?
>> WE PLAN TO GIVE AROUND 9,000
IF WE MEET OUR GOALS.
AND SO FAR WE'VE GIVEN A LITTLE
OVER 700.
>> WOW.
SO --
>> AS OF THIS MORNING.
>> WE KNOW THAT THE STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT REPORTS HAVING
TROUBLE GETTING ENOUGH VACCINE.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH
AVAILABILITY FOR YOU?
>> WELL, IT'S BEEN -- I WOULD
CALL IT -- THE BEST WAY TO
DESCRIBE IT IS VARIABLE.
WE HAVE GOTTEN AS MANY AS 200
VACCINE IN A WEEK AND WE HAVE
HAD AS LITTLE AS ONE VIAL IN A
WEEK, WHICH WAS LAST WEEK, TEN
DOSES.
SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT ALL
OVER THE MAP.
BUT IN GENERAL WHAT WE'RE
EXPECTING NOW IS TO GET 200 TO
300 A WEEK, INCLUDING OUR SECOND
DOSES.
SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE
ANXIETY-PROVOKING BECAUSE WE
DON'T KNOW WHICH DAY IT'S COMING
AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GETTING UNTIL
THE LAST MINUTE, MAKING IT VERY
DIFFICULT TO SCHEDULE PEOPLE
AHEAD OF TIME.
>> YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY.
BUT PRESUMABLY, YOU, LIKE
OTHERS, WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST A
LOT MORE OF IT COMING YOUR WAY.
>> WE SURE WOULD.
WE WOULD LIKE TO GET OUR VERY
HIGH-RISK POPULATION VACCINATED
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE SOME ADVANTAGES.
THE STATE HAS ALLOWED US SOME
LEEWAY WITH SOVEREIGNTY ISSUES.
SO WE ARE A LITTLE AHEAD OF
PHASE 1B COMPARED TO OTHER
AREAS.
WE'RE VACCINATING 70 AND OLDER
RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE WELL INTO
OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE 710 PLUS
VACCINES IN WITH ALREADY ALL OUR
HEALTH CARE DONE, FIRST
RESPONDERS AND MANY ELDERS.
BUT WE'VE GOT A LARGE GROUP OF
PEOPLE 40 TO 65 YEARS OLD WITH
MULTIPLE HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT
ARE QUITE VULNERABLE AND AT RISK
FOR COVID AND WE'D LIKE TO GET
THEM VACCINATED AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
>> DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME
MISTRUST OF THE VACCINE?
>> THERE ARE ISSUES PARTICULAR
TO THE MENOMINEE TRIBE THAT DO
BRING MISTRUST INTO THE
EQUATION.
IT MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT
WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY.
IT HAS TO DO WITH HISTORICAL
PROBLEMS WITH SMALLPOX AND
BROKEN TREATIES AND FAILURES OF
THE GOVERNMENT TO COME THROUGH
FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AND OTHER
PUBLIC HEALTH CALAMITIES.
SO THE POLITICAL ISSUES ARE NOT
REALLY PART OF OUR PROBLEM.
IT'S CONVINCING PEOPLE THAT THE
GOVERNMENT REALLY DOES MEAN TO
DELIVER THE GOOD THING AND THE
RIGHT THING AND THE LIFE-SAVING
THING HERE.
SO THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE IS
REALLY IMPORTANT HERE.
>> YEAH.
AND VERY REAL.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU JUST SPOKE TO
THE FACT THAT YOU HAD A
HIGH-RISK POPULATION EVEN AMONG
THE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS.
HOW HAS COVID-19 IMPACTED THE
COMMUNITY WHERE YOU PRACTICE?
>> WELL, WE'VE HAD ABOUT 30
DEATHS TOTAL.
HALF OF THOSE ARE MENOMINEES ON
THE RESERVATION.
HALF LIVE OFF THE RESERVATION
EITHER IN CONTIGUOUS AREAS OR A
FEW REMOTELY IN THE STATE.
WE'VE HAD 950 COVID CASES, WHICH
DOESN'T SOUND A LOT COMPARED TO
MENOMINEE OR MADISON, BUT WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THAT ON A PER CAPITA
BASIS, MENOMINEE HAS HAD THE
GREATEST CASE BURDEN PER CAPITA
UP UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WE
HAD THAT SPOT FOR MANY MONTHS.
SO PER CAPITA, WE'VE HAD A VERY
HIGH BURDEN OF COVID AND WE'VE
HAD PLENTY OF DEATHS.
>> ARE PEOPLE HEEDING SAFETY
GUIDANCE AROUND DISTANCING AND
MASKING?
>> PUBLICLY AND IN WORKPLACES,
IT'S VERY GOOD.
I THINK PEOPLE TAKE THE
RECOMMENDATIONS SERIOUSLY.
THE TRIBE HAS HAD EMERGENCY
ORDERS IN PLACE WHICH
FORTUNATELY WE'RE ABLE TO
SUPERSEDE WHATEVER THE
GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY DOING
WITH APPROVING OR DISAPPROVING
THOSE.
BUT THE TRIBE TAKES IT VERY
SERIOUSLY AND THEY WANT TO
PROTECT EACH OTHER AND THEY HAVE
BEEN STRONG WITH THAT MESSAGE.
THE PROBLEM WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE
SAFETY COME IS -- OR PROBLEMS
WITH IT IS IN HOMES, WHERE IT'S
MULTIGENERATIONAL.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL
THINGS ABOUT THE MENOMINEE, IS
THEIR LOVE FOR FAMILY AND THEIR
CONNECTIONS.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF VISITING AND
THERE'S OVER-CROWDING IN HOMES
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE SEEN A
LOT OF SPREAD.
THE OTHER PLACE WE'VE SEEN IS
PEOPLE WHO WORK OUTSIDE THE
AREA, WHERE SAFETY MEASURES
AREN'T ENFORCED AND THEY BRING
IT HOME BECAUSE THEY WORK IN A
PLACE WHERE MASKS WEREN'T
ENFORCED.
>> DOCTOR, WE WISH YOU WELL WITH
THIS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
CHECK IN.
DR. AMY SLAGLE, THANK YOU VERY