COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout with Sarah-Jane Tribble, Brock Slabach, and John Henderson

Michelle chats with Sarah Jane Tribble, Senior Correspondent at Kaiser Health News, Brock Slabach, Senior VP for Member Services at the National Rural Health Association, and John Henderson, the CEO and President of Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, about COVID vaccine rollout in rural areas. Tribble notes that many health disparities are more prevalent in rural communities, which is why it's important for rural communities to have access to the COVID vaccine. Slabach describes the distribution challenges in rural, including lack of federal guidance, transportation difficulties, and inadequate broadband coverage. Tribble says that it's hard to convey to rural residents the importance of getting the vaccine when people are resistant to wearing masks. The hope is that people will see their friends and family suffering and dying from the virus and take steps to prevent infection. Slabach emphasizes an open dialogue in vaccine messaging. Henderson talks about the situation in Texas where rural hospitals were initially not allocated any vaccines. Tribble says that we must utilize this pandemic to create a better emergency management playbook. This episode is sponsored by the All of Us Research Program. Join us to make a difference at joinallofus.org/RuralMatters