Editing:21.02.01 vaccines 1 state-by-state resource and launch

February 1, 2021 (New York, NY) -- The Sikh Coalition remains committed to providing critical resources and information regarding COVID-19. In 2021, this means helping every Sikh in the United States understand the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

While the Sikh Coalition is not a public health organization, we continue to prioritize this work in accordance with the ongoing threat to the health of our sangats. We are undertaking this work in direct consultation with medical professionals at the North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association (NASMDA) and the Sikh Family Center, as well as colleagues at the Jakara Movement. We will create and distribute a wide range of resources over the coming weeks designed to help you learn and share accurate information about the vaccine, know when and where to get your vaccine, and encourage your sangat to stay safe while everyone who can get vaccinated does so.

Our first resource is a new document that outlines vaccine information and resources for all 50 states. Because every state has different rules and processes regarding who can get vaccinated first and how, we wanted to create this document to direct you and your sangat to the most up-to-date information possible. We intend to continuously update the document as states move through their various vaccine ‘phases’ and more vaccines become available to larger groups of the public.

“The Sikh Coalition is committed to providing resources meant to help our community stay safe as we move into this next phase of the pandemic,” said Rucha Kaur, Sikh Coalition Community Development Director. “The COVID-19 vaccination process is confusing and complex, but addressing any challenge starts with distributing information at the local level. This is why we’re focused on providing state-by-state information that is updated in a timely manner and accessible to all.”

Click here to view the resource, and be sure to share it with your family, friends, and wider sangat.

As a reminder, immigration status should not affect an individual’s access to getting vaccinated. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, states are collecting information from individuals receiving the vaccine to "monitor uptake, ensure dose matching and appropriate timing for the second dose, and assess vaccine effectiveness and safety." Moreover, according to CDC’s vaccine administration data agreement, the use of vaccine administration data will be limited to completing work in furtherance of the public health response to COVID-19 and not for other purposes, including immigration enforcement. The Sikh Coalition will continue to monitor for any news regarding the relationship between citizenship status and vaccinations, and we will provide updates accordingly.

There is understandably lots of confusion around the vaccines, and of course, plenty of misinformation circulating about vaccines in general. And while it will take time to get everyone vaccinated, this is our surest path to recovery from the pandemic that has ravaged our nation for the past year. Though we are not a public health organization, this is why we are continuing to pivot our resources to this work: Together, we must all do our part to keep ourselves and our communities safe.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.

The Sikh Coalition, in collaboration with the North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association (NASMDA), the Sikh Family Center, and the Jakara Movement, is working to ensure that all Sikh Americans have access to information and resources regarding vaccinations for COVID-19. While we are not a public health organization, we are pursuing this work so that we can all do our part to keep ourselves and our communities safe. Please visit our website for more resources, email community@sikhcoalition.org with any questions about this work, and always consult your doctor with specific inquiries about your personal health.

COVID-19 Vaccinations State-by-State Resource