PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from July 6.
Rural communities throughout Pennsylvania are lacking the resources to fight the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.
The Biden-Harris Administration stepped in by providing rural health clinics (RHCs) $643,877 to support their vaccination efforts, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services News Release.
The funds will go to 13 rural health clinics to combat the spread of COVID-19 misinformation and increase vaccination confidence.
“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.”
RHCs will also use this funding to improve health literacy by focusing on vaccination safety and the benefits of vaccinating rural communities.
According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services News Release, "These efforts will improve health care in rural areas by reinforcing key messages about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases."
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is providing $49,500 grant awards to each certified RHCs site.
HRSA has also awarded $750,000 to the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, which assists with improving the quality of health care for 57 million rural Americans. This award will provide technical assistance to the RHCs enrolled in this program and help strengthen their COVID-19 response.
For those interested, learn more about HRSA's Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence Program at Health Resources and Services Administration website.