COVID-19 has ravaged the Navajo Nation, killing Native Americans at a faster rate than any other community in the country. According to a report published earlier this year, Native Americans have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic — especially on reservations, where access to basic resources, including food and water, can be limited.
As we begin the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are reasons for hope, including vaccines approved for emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yet even 95% efficacy for a vaccinated individual means that, statistically, 19 out of 20 people are effectively covered against becoming seriously ill from coronavirus, but 1 in 20 is not.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) is joining more than 400 faith, human rights, civil society, and labor organizations in calling on the administration of President Joe Biden to join a global movement to make COVID-19 vaccines more widely available around the world.
Before spending an hour putting on a thought-provoking webinar with a panel of physicians who specialize in treating infectious diseases, the Rev. Liz Walker, pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston and a former television journalist, took a quick poll Tuesday of the 194 viewers. How many planned to roll up their sleeve to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Seventy-four percent said yes, and 26% said no thanks.
As soon as a pair of interviewers completed their half-hour on Tuesday with Dr. Anthony Fauci regarding the pandemic and vaccine development and distribution, it was time to turn their attention on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s preeminent voice on infectious diseases, paid a house call via Zoom Tuesday evening on Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston, dispensing 30 minutes of wisdom and encouragement to a crowd of up to 2,300 registered viewers.
