Why get vaccinated?

Tribal and Native communities have been one of the most impacted communities by COVID-19. The three COVID-19 vaccines have been reviewed and approved by tribal public health experts and tribal epidemiologist as a safe and effective way to protect community, culture, and traditions by protecting our loved ones. All of the vaccines are effective at preventing severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death from the virus and stops the spread to our communities.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) it has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents who are 12 and above and said the vaccination is available at IHS facilities with an ample supply of the Pfizer vaccine and are working with IHS Area Offices and tribal, federal, and urban sites to distribute the vaccine. The IHS views this next wave of vaccinations as important so that Native Youth can return to social activities.

Families looking to make vaccination appointments for their 12+ children can contact a local California Rural Tribal Health Program or California Urban Indian Health Programs.

For additional vaccine appointment options, visit MyTurn.ca.gov, call the COVID-19 Hotline at (833) 422-4255, or talk to your family’s pediatrician or healthcare provider.

Let’s protect tribal elders and Native Youth to get to immunity for the safety of California’s tribal and Native communities.

Vaccination is one of the most important steps in ending the pandemic.

Each person that gets vaccinated brings us closer to a post-pandemic world.

More benefits of vaccination

• Hospitalization due to COVID-19 drastically decreases

• COVID-19 cases will go down so ceremonies and community events can start again

• We can hug all of our relatives

How can I get vaccinated?

Choose any of these ways to get vaccinated. Due to the high demand and limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, appointments may take a few weeks to schedule. Appointments are being added regularly and continue to expand statewide.

Schedule an appointment

To make vaccination appointments at tribal facilities contact a local California Rural Tribal Health Program or California Urban Indian Health Programs.

Find more vaccine appointments near you

Use My Turn to sign up for a vaccine appointment or get notified when more appointments are available.

If appointments with My Turn aren’t immediately available, use VaccineFinder to find more in your area.

If you need help making an appointment, call (833) 422-4255

You can also check with your healthcare provider or local pharmacy

Are the vaccines safe?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines have gone through extensive clinical trials and the most intensive safety review in U.S. history. Technological advancements in science and an unprecedented amount of resources made the development of vaccines in under a year possible. Before release, they were tested in tens of thousands of participants of different ages, races, genders, and ethnicities. Most people report no side effects, or only mild ones.

All COVID-19 vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect tribal elders, Native Youth, community, and California tribal and native culture from the COVID-19 pandemic. The three vaccines currently available, are each authorized by the FDA, CDC, and tribal public health experts.

You cannot get COVID-19 from a vaccine.

How we know they’re safe

• Millions of people in the United States have been safely vaccinated for COVID-19

• Everyone who receives a vaccine is observed while on-site for side effects

• Reported side effects have been mild, and are a normal sign that your body is building immunity

• These vaccines were built on years of research -- no corners were cut in the process

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Update:

• California lifted the temporary pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Visit the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup report to learn more.

• The pause on the J&J vaccine was out of an abundance of caution to allow FDA and CDC to review data.

• IHS has three vaccine safety monitoring systems in place. To date, there have been no reported cases of the rare and severe type of blood clot seen in some individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.

• For up-to-date information and fact sheets, click here.

Are they effective?

Yes. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases that are already there, vaccines prevent them. The vaccines are highly effective at preventing you from severe symptoms, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19.

Be sure to get all required doses of a vaccine.

For full protection, both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine require two shots, spaced a few weeks apart. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is one shot.

Vaccine effectiveness

• All three authorized vaccines have shown high efficacy against severe COVID-19.

• No vaccinated person died due to COVID-19 during studies of these three vaccines.