Vaccinating rural communities to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic is no simple task and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) understands the unique issues and viewpoints you face as a rural health stakeholder leading the way. Although many resources are currently available, we know materials focused for rural audiences will be most effective in reaching our communities. Because of this, NRHA has curated tools to assist you immediately and allow you to easily distribute and co-brand by adding your organization’s logo. Our resource library includes conversation starters and public service announcements developed in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, Health Action Alliance, and the Ad Council that can help rural employers, small business owners and public sector employers share vaccine facts and improve vaccination access for employees and families.

The Chartis Center for Rural Health released the results of the survey they conducted on vaccine hesitancy among rural hospital staff. Their survey found that 30% of the 160 rural hospital executives who responded said less than half of their employees had been vaccinated — even though health care workers had been eligible for months. Only about a third said that 70% or more of their staff were vaccinated. Additionally, the survey asked participants what the reasons were for those opting to not receive the vaccine, and Matter of Personal Opinion and Lack of Trust in Vaccines were the top two reasons. NRHA knows that health care personnel in rural communities tend to be leaders and examples for their patients, and we are communicating that message to Congress and the administration.

The White House has announced a goal of having a 70 percent vaccination rate among American adults by the Fourth of July holiday. To help achieve this goal, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on vaccine hesitancy, discussing in detail the hesitancy facing rural communities. NRHA applauds the White House for this vaccination goal and is pleased to see Congress examining the reasons some communities have struggled to receive the vaccine in high numbers. We are committed to continuing working with both the Administration and Congress to ensure the vaccination rate continues to grow.

The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee held a hearing on the FY 2022 budget request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the hearing, Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) asked CDC Director Rochelle Walensky about what the agency is doing to increase rural vaccine access and uptake. Dr. Walensky responded by acknowledging the agencies efforts to increase grassroots education efforts, funding for community health workers, and telehealth utilization.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its guidance for health care providers administering the vaccine and allows for undiluted, thawed Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine vials to be stored in refrigeration for up to one month. The previous time span was up to five days.