Monday, August 09, 2021

Pandemic stigma: Secret shots; rural coroner leaves Covid-19 off death certificates at kin's request; can farmers help?

Here's a roundup of recent news about the pandemic and immunization efforts:

As trusted local voices, farmers could be the key to increasing rural coronavirus vaccination rates, said the chief policy officer of the National Rural Health Association. Read more here.

Most unvaccinated Americans believe the coronavirus vaccine poses a greater health risk than the disease, a poll has found. Read more here.

Some people in rural Missouri are getting vaccinated in secret to avoid backlash from loved ones. Read more here.

A coroner in rural Missouri admits he has not listed Covid-19 on some death certificates because families asked him to leave it off. Read more here.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said he regrets signing a bill prohibiting local mask mandates, and asked state lawmakers to rescind the policy. Read more here.

Some state and local government employees say they refuse to get vaccinated because they don't trust the government, a new report found. Read more here.

A doctor answers rural Texans' questions about the coronavirus vaccine; maybe your readers have some of the same questions. Read more here.

A shocking loss spurred many to get vaccinated in one rural Arkansas community. Read more here.

Disagreements about vaccination are tearing some marriages apart. Read more here.

A retired family physician from small-town Mississippi explains how the coronavirus vaccine works in a clear, easy-to-understand Facebook post and answers follow-up questions from readers in the comments. The doctor, who says he worked on HIV vaccine development in the 1980's, also debunks common misinformation and reminds readers how stressful the pandemic has been for health-care workers. The post is an excellent example of how providers can help shape discourse in their communities. Read more here.

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