H1N1 PSA Campaigns Targeting Native Americans Unveiled

On Jan. 12, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled two new public service announcement (PSA) campaigns targeting American Indians and Alaska Natives, urging them to get vaccinated for the H1N1 flu.

At a press conference announcing the campaigns, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the virus has hit Indian Country especially hard, citing a CDC report released last month that showed that Native Americans are four times more likely to die from H1N1 than the general population.

Sebelius said American Indians/Alaska Natives are at a greater risk because they have higher rates of conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. It is also due to the higher numbers that live in poverty and that lack access to medical care.

“And this message is really urgent in Indian Country,” she said.

The HHS and IHS hope that the PSAs, produced for radio and TV, get that message out. The announcements give strategies for preventing the virus, like hand washing, coughing/sneezing into a sleeve and staying home from work if sick. They also stress getting vaccinated.

The series of six TV PSAs feature Cherokee actor Wes Studi. There are also regional PSAs starring Sebelius and IHS Director Dr. Yvette Roubideaux.

In addition to getting vaccinated, Roubideaux encourages people to educate everyone on how to take precautions and prevent spreading the virus.

As of mid-November, there were 47 million H1N1 cases in the United States, with more than 200,000 hospitalizations and nearly 10,000 deaths, Roubideaux said. And she stressed that there may be a third wave, as influenza typically peaks from January to March.

For more information on H1N1, go to www.flu.gov.

Native People More Likely to Die from Swine Flu

American Indians and Alaska Natives have an H1N1 mortality rate four times higher than persons in all other racial/ethnic populations combined, according to a report published last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, based on data collected between April 15 and Nov. 13 in 12 states, did not pinpoint the reasons for the disparity in death rates. It suggests, however, that it may be related to a high prevalence of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and asthma, among Native people, which predisposes them to influenza complications; poverty/poor living conditions; and delayed access to care.