First COVID-19 vaccines administered on White Earth Reservation

The first COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 10 health care workers at White Earth Heath Center on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Officials from the Indian Health Service headquartered in Rockville, Md., were at the health center near Ogema on the White Earth Reservation to oversee the administration of some of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Minnesota. The IHS is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the principal federal care provider for American Indians and Alaska natives.

"We're excited about this important milestone that we've reached on the COVID-19 vaccine," said Rear Adm. Michael D. Weahkee, director of the Indian Health Services. "COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, as we speak, to federal, tribal and urban Indian organizations to ensure that the vaccine is effectively delivered throughout Indian country."

Weahkee, a member of the Zuni Tribe in New Mexico, said, on Sunday morning, soon after the FDA approved the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, shipments were already being sent out to Indian Health Service facilities.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be approved for emergency use by the FDA within the next week.

IHS is expecting to receive 22,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 46,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine during the first phase of vaccine rollout, he said.

"All of those Pfizer doses will be delivered by the end of today to 19 of our hub-facilities for further distribution to federal, tribal and urban sites," said Weahkee. "The first allocation of Pfizer and Moderna doses will allow IHS to vaccinate 100% of our health care workforce and residents of long-term care facilities not accounted for by Medicare and Medicaid services."

More than 330 tribal nations across the country elected to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through IHS instead of their respective states, said Weahkee.

"The IHS well-prepared and positioned to begin COVID-19 vaccinations," he said. "Our ultimate goal is to ensure that safe and effective vaccines can reach Indian country as quickly, and as equitably, as possible."

Maria Clark, CEO of the White Earth Health Center, said her team members have made work, home and lifestyle changes during this pandemic and these vaccinations represent the beginning of their sacrifices paying off.

"Some of us have lost family members," said Clark. "I am extremely grateful that IHS, HHS and the tribe, that everything was done collaboratively, happily and excitedly, and it was done perfectly, as far as receiving this vaccine today."

After the statements from IHS and White Earth tribal leaders, Merlin Deegan Sr., a member of White Earth, performed a ceremonial blessing for the vaccine before the first doses were administered.

The first IHS administered vaccine occurred at 2 p.m. Monday to a health care worker at Cass Lake Indian Health Services in Minnesota. The White Earth Health Center is the second IHS facility to begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide.

1/2: Karen Kellerhuis prepares a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the White Earth Health Center before the vaccine is administered to a White Earth health care worker on Tuesday, Dec. 15. (Michael Achterling / Tribune)

2/2: Karen Kellerhuis, right, goes through the required vaccination paperwork with Robert Roy, a security guard at the White Earth Health Center, before administering a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the White Earth Health Center on Tuesday, Dec. 15. (Michael Achterling / Tribune)