ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Guam is a United States territory situated in the western Pacific Ocean with a multiethnic population numbering approximately 168,000. The CHamorus, who are the Indigenous people of Guam, make up 37%. In this study, we sought to explore CHamorus' perspectives on and experiences of COVID-19. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with 10 CHamoru adults in June-July 2020 via telephone for a larger study on understanding how the collective history of the CHamoru people is perceived relative to contemporary health beliefs and practices. This study is a secondary data analysis of questions that focused on COVID-19. We used thematic analysis techniques to analyze the data. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: self and other, or "no man is an island"; trust in government; and focusing on the positives. A cross-cutting theme was commitment to the common welfare of the community through interconnectedness and inafa'maolek (doing good for others). CONCLUSION: Results indicated that CHamorus recognized a balance between community and individual, the need to protect the vulnerable while also considering personal choice, and the implications of enforced social distancing on community and economic stability.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adult , Economic Stability , Guam , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Trust , United StatesABSTRACT
We report on data we collected from a 2018 survey examining jails' human papillomavirus virus vaccine delivery capacity and on a secondary analysis we conducted to describe factors similarly associated with delivery planning for the COVID-19 vaccine. We provide recommendations for delivering the COVID-19 vaccine in jails, based on evidence from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. Our key finding is that jails have limited staff to implement vaccination and will require collaboration between jail administrators, jail medical staff, and local health departments.