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Several Oklahoma Tribes Lower Age Limits For COVID Vaccinations

Anadisgoi / Cherokee Nation
Eligible individuals get COVID-19 vaccines at the Cherokee Nation office in Stilwell, Okla. last week.

Last week, the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation announced they would be opening up COVID-19 vaccination appointments to any Native person aged 16 and older. In a similar move, Osage Nation announced they would begin allowing Native individuals aged 18 and older to get vaccinated.

“From the beginning our goal has been to provide the vaccine to everyone in our communities,” said Cherokee Nation Health Services Executive Director Dr. R. Stephen Jones. “We now have the allocations of vaccine that give us the ability to accomplish this and we couldn’t be happier.”

Indian Health Service clinics in both Oklahoma and Kansas have also lowered the vaccination age to 16 years and older, except for sites in Claremore and Wewoka where the age has been lowered to 18 and older. Non-Native household members and caregivers are included in those eligible.

Tribal nations have been a major factor in the state's high vaccination rates. As of last week, IHS clinics in the Oklahoma City area reported that 100,000 vaccine doses had been administered.

Cherokee Nation health officials say they've administered more than 24,000 vaccine doses since the first doses arrived in December.

The Osage Nation's Wah-Zha-Zhe Health Center reported on Friday that a total of 1,637 COVID-19 vaccinations were given to a total of 1,111 patients as of Feb. 22.

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Allison Herrera covered Indigenous Affairs for KOSU from April 2020 to November 2023.
Ryan LaCroix is the Director of Content and Audience Development for KOSU.
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