Navajo Nation president asks U.S. government for more COVID-19 vaccines

FARMINGTON, N.M.— Navajo Nation leaders are calling on the U.S. government to send more vaccines as dozens of communities were just identified as having uncontrolled spread of COVID-19.

“We want to focus on getting as many Navajo people vaccinated as we can,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

“All across the country every state is advocating for more vaccines, so why shouldn’t tribes do the same especially with the Navajo Nation as a hard hit," Nez added.

As of right now, 64,713 doses have been delivered and 53,483 of those doses have been administered to the Navajo people. President Nez said there’s still a need and interest for the vaccine.

“Some of our Navajo people do not have transportation to go to these mass vaccination events, so today we went alongside our public health nurses, or CHRs, to vaccinate two of our elders here in the subdivision,” said Nez.

The Navajo Nation even lifted the 57-hour weekend lockdown to get more people vaccinated. Their goal is to get 100,000 people vaccinated by the end of February.

Navajo officials sent letters to the Arizona, Utah and New Mexico governors.

“Every state in the union has utilized their state population to justify vaccines coming in for citizens, we just reminded the state governors and the state that that data also included Native American populations,” said Nez.

The Biden-Harris Administration signed a major disaster declaration Tuesday that will provide more resources and funding to the Navajo Nation.

President Nez urged people to continue to keep their guard up.