On one hand, it makes sense to distribute the vaccine to communities with the highest rates of the virus, but the US also has a history of using marginalized populations as guinea pigs in medical experiments. It’s best to keep your eyes open.

By Jordan Williams, The Hill

The Navajo Nation announced on Saturday that it will receive its first doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine early this week.

The nation said in a statement that it is expecting its first shipments on Monday and Tuesday. The doses will be administered to health care workers and those in long-term assisted living facilities.

The shipments will be transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center, Chinle IHS and Northern Navajo Medical Center, the nation said. Doses will then be sent to other locations that are able to store the vaccine at “deep frozen temperature.”

The Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency use on Friday, and states are expected to receive their first doses next week.  The vaccine will need to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, or minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.

The announcement comes as the Navajo Nation experiences a second wave of coronavirus infections.

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