The White House says the funding will go to rural Health Clinics to help combat COVID-19 misinformation and develop vaccine confidence and outreach efforts.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration has provided $4,309,023 to support rural health clinics in Mississippi with vaccination efforts, particularly in communities that face increased challenges caused by the Delta variant.
The White House said in a release that the funds will go to 87 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) who will use these resources to combat COVID-19 misinformation by developing and implementing additional vaccine confidence and outreach efforts. The funding was made available by the American Rescue Plan and is being administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program.
In May 2021, President Joe Biden made it a goal to increase funding for rural health clinics and hospitals to respond to COVID-19 with testing and medication measures, increase vaccine education and outreach efforts in rural communities, and shipping new allocations of vaccine to rural health clinics.
In July 2021, the Biden Administration responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing Mississippi with $12,918,800 to support rural areas and vaccination efforts. That announcement came after President Biden said that government officials need to go “door to door” to promote vaccination efforts.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra explained that rural health care clinics are extremely important in increasing vaccination rates across the country.
“Rural health clinics play a crucial role in supporting our national vaccination effort to defeat COVID-19,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a release. “This funding will give trusted messengers in rural communities the tools they need to counsel patients on how COVID-19 vaccines can help protect them and their loved ones.”
About 46 million Americans live in rural areas, and Administration officials say they face distinctive challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many rural communities are considered highly vulnerable according to CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI).
“Rural Health Clinics are critical partners in addressing health equity gaps, including those related to vaccination,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. “This funding will help Rural Health Clinics address the barriers people in their communities face to getting vaccinated and build confidence in vaccines through trusted resources for health care services and health information.”
To view a state-by-state breakdown of this funding visit: www.hrsa.gov/coronavirus/rural-health-clinics/confidence/funding
