Here's what happened after one Oklahoma tribe required COVID vaccines for employees

As COVID-19 infections spiked in August, more than 100 employees of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes faced a crucial decision: Either become vaccinated or be placed on unpaid leave until the coronavirus surge waned.

About 70 workers opted to become fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate is now 93% among the tribes’ 650 employees. Gov. Reggie Wassana credits the requirement and other precautions for largely keeping tribal members and employees out of hospitals as the delta variant swept across Oklahoma.

“We just want to have a safe and secure place for employees and the public,” Wassana said. 

The latest updates: COVID-19 in Oklahoma tracker

The Cheyenne and Arapaho workforce vaccination mandate was perhaps the strictest coronavirus safety measure enforced by an Oklahoma tribe, but it was not alone. Many leaders of Oklahoma’s 39 tribes reinstated mask mandates, canceled annual gatherings and shut offices to visitors. The steps contrasted against the policies of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who did not enforce any similar measures.

Coronavirus infections are now slowing statewide from their August peak. Oklahoma’s seven-day average number of new cases has dropped by more than half since Sept. 3, from 3,540 to 1,278. Indian Health Service clinics have seen similar declines among their patients.

Oklahoma tribes are weighing their next steps as they try to prevent a deadly fall outbreak. Tribal clinics are promoting COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, as well as flu vaccines. Noting the decline in cases, Wassana plans to meet this week with elected officials and medical experts to start discussing when and how to bring unvaccinated employees back to work. 

“The numbers will give us a picture on on what decisions we need to make,” Wassana said.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes operate a joint government in Canadian County, west of Oklahoma City. About 7,500 of the tribes’ 13,000 citizens live in the state. 

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in central Oklahoma, Cheyenne and Arapaho leaders formed a task force to track the spread of infections. The task force still meets often with the tribes’ health board and Indian Health Service officials to analyze case data. They watch for spikes in infections among elders and discuss steps how they can take extra precautions to protect people who are most vulnerable to the disease. The tribe also hosts an online meeting every other Friday to provide public updates and answer questions from citizens about COVID-19. 

“It’s been a total team effort to try to protect and save the lives of not only our tribal members, but our employees,” Wassana said.

News: Drug distributors will pay Cherokee Nation $75 million to settle opioid suit

For many Indigenous communities, the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. Native Americans are far more likely to die or become critically ill than white Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some Cheyenne and Arapaho families have lost both grandparents to COVID-19, Wassana said. Tribal employees have also died.

The disproportionate toll is one reason Indigenous groups have such high vaccination rates. Tribally-operated clinics in Oklahoma made the vaccine widely available soon after it was distributed this spring. 

Still, the supply of vaccine doses has outpaced demand. Only 48% of Oklahomans who are eligible for the shot are fully vaccinated, compared to 56% nationwide. The state has the 12th lowest vaccination rate in the U.S.

The Indian Health Service also monitors vaccination rates by tracking what happens to the doses it distributes. About 78% of vaccines delivered to tribes in Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as one in Texas, have been administered. That rate is 100% for the neighboring IHS region, which covers most of New Mexico and Colorado. Only one in 26 coronavirus tests in that area was positive between August and October, compared to one in six tests in the Oklahoma and Kansas region. Those positive tests amounted to one-quarter of all the region’s cases since the pandemic began, according to the IHS.

More:Comparing the COVID-19 vaccines

The spike prompted Wassana to talk with the tribe’s COVID-19 task force and other experts on preventative measures. Wassana issued the executive order requiring employees to become vaccinated Aug. 12. One month later, President Joe Biden would go on to require workers at large companies to become vaccinated or face frequent testing. 

“We had to look at the health and safety of not only other employees, but visitors that come in,” Wassana said. 

If someone contracted COVID-19 from an employee, that could expose an entire household to the virus. In addition to the vaccine mandate, the executive order reinstated measures such as health screenings for employees and closing community gathering spaces. The order also extended incentives worth as much as $200 for members and employees who received the vaccine, similar to many other tribes.

“We're trying to do it as much as we can to help create a positive atmosphere about vaccinations,” Wassana said.

Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network's Sunbelt Region of Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.