Iowa’s U.S. House members call for sending COVID-19 vaccine to community health centers

Iowa community health centers, which reach underserved and vulnerable populations, should be included in the Biden administration’s distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, Iowa’s House delegation, including Rep. Cindy Axne, D-3rd, said in a letter to federal health officials.

The “oversight” of omitting Iowa’s community health centers from the 25-center pilot project can be rectified by including the state community health centers in the next round of direct vaccination support to the 250 federally qualified health centers, the legislators wrote.

Iowa’s other representatives — 1st District Rep. Ashley Hinson, 2nd District Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and 4th District Rep. Randy Feenstra, all Republicans — joined Axne in the letter to Health and Human Services secretary-designee Xavier Beccera and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky.

“We are heartened by your intention to work directly with (community health centers) to expand vaccine access,” the legislators wrote.

Although each state is guaranteed additional doses for one federally qualified health center, the Iowa representatives urged the administration to consider Iowa’s “meritorious requests ... and offer the direct vaccine partnership to as many of these critical locations as possible.”

“Based on all available evidence, such a determination will yield positive health outcomes in communities most in need of federal support,” they said.

All Care Health Center in Council Bluffs is among the community health centers that as of yet won’t receive federal vaccination, according to Co-Medical Director Teresa Dowling, who’s also a nurse practioner.

All Care is one of the state-approved distribution sites and has been receiving vaccine from the state through Pottawattamie County Public Health. The clinic is administering vaccinations today to law enforcement and patients and non-patients 65 and older. For the 65 and older population, All Care is working from its list of patients and a list of non-patients that inquired about vaccine to fill its 250 available appointments.

The White House has announced another 5% increase in vaccine supply, a 28% increase over the past three weeks, as part of its effort to vaccinate 100 million people in the first 100 days of the Biden administration.

The administration recently announced plans to direct COVID-19 vaccines from the federal stores to federally qualified health centers. The U.S. House delegation supports the administration’s intention to count those vaccine doses separately from the state’s regular allocation.

In their letter, the Iowa House members said the state’s nearly 70 community health centers play a vital role in reaching underserved communities.

“While this pandemic has made it abundantly clear that all types of health care providers are heroes, community health centers play a special and particular role — they reach America’s most vulnerable communities,” Axne and the others wrote. “These centers also bring mental and behavioral health care into communities in dire need of those services, especially during the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Dowling said she expects All Care will eventually receive federal vaccine allotments.

“As soon as the feds are able to distribute some to us, we want to be ready for it. We’re simultaneously looking at a long-term strategy while conducting our current clinics,” she said. “What can we do to help not only All Care patients but the community.”

Iowa’s federally qualified health centers are positioned as the U.S. government’s best potential vaccination partners, according to the House members.

“They stand ready and able to administer COVID-19 vaccines to our most vulnerable constituents — and they should be given the opportunity to do so,” they wrote, adding the community health centers are well-integrated into their local communities, including the rural and lowest-income areas in the state.