Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez Urges Residents To Get Vaccine Once It's Available
As of Tuesday, the Navajo Nation has reported more than 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 650 deaths. But now with vaccine availability on the horizon, Tribal President Jonathan Nez is pushing residents to get the optional vaccine.
“If you don’t take it, then these outbreaks are still going to happen. I’m not scaring you, it’s just if you don’t take a vaccine then things are not going to change, you’re still going to have to wear a mask, you’re still going to have to social distance, and things like that,” Nez said.
In a virtual town hall on Tuesday, Nez also thanked the more than 100 Navajo Nation residents who participated in the clinical trials.
There is expected to be some reticence among tribal members as there’s a long storied history of disease exposure and vaccine access that has led to mass deaths in indigenous communities.
