When fighting a global pandemic, all options must be on the table

As the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are administered across the country, there is a sense of renewed optimism that the United States will, in time, beat back this virus and return to normalcy. 

In processes that generally take years to complete, companies around the world are developing innovative vaccines and treatments with the hope of delivering them in just a few months to millions of Americans. Unfortunately, what can be lost in this wave of positive feeling is what those living in countless disparate communities scattered across America are facing. While urban and suburban populations — those near easily accessible and high-quality health care facilities — have reaped the benefits of their close proximity, those living in rural communities have grown increasingly more concerned about how the nation will overcome their access challenges. 

As early as April, nearly half of rural hospitals across the country were already operating at a loss, and additional hits from the pandemic only exacerbated this situation in the following months. It is not hard to imagine then, that these facilities already struggling to make ends meet would be raising concerns about how they will be able to properly store the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines or of how to vaccinate their local populations on a wide scale with a lack of staff. 

On top of the lack of storage equipment and staffing challenges, distributing any vaccine to high-risk populations across the country presents another daunting problem. Maintaining the required temperatures and providing enough doses to effectively curb the pandemic will be a massive undertaking, and rural populations could be some of the last to benefit. 

The unfortunate irony of the situation is that these rural communities should be at the top of the government’s list, with a disproportionate number of poor, elderly and those with chronic health issues living in small towns. In addition, the latest coronavirus surge is crashing upon many of these same communities. Taken together, the holistic outlook for rural areas is the worst it has been since the start of the pandemic. 

Despite these and many other hurdles which our nations’ COVID-19 effort must overcome, it was American innovation, in conjunction with a proactive federal reaction, that has the U.S. on the cusp of the fastest successful vaccine development in recent history. Perhaps it is the American inventive spirit and this same robust government response that rural communities must look toward in order to solve this conundrum. 

Coupled with traditional injectable vaccines and the immense promise they bring in terms of effectiveness, the government should continue to adopt the approach of wide-ranging investment in innovative options that are already in the pipeline, such as an oral vaccine, which could help alleviate some of the impediments that rural residents could face. There are many more promising vaccine candidates in clinical trials that could reach all corners of the country, while saving taxpayers and hospitals precious resources as the nation continues to battle the pandemic. 

COVID-19 will likely be a part of the lives of countless Americans for a long time, and the vaccine options to defeat it need to reflect that simple fact. One silver bullet is not a sustainable solution for everyone across the country, especially for vulnerable populations living in remote areas. Moreover, our leaders should recognize that rural Americans are currently experiencing the worst of COVID-19 as their communities become ground zero for the virus’ spread. If we are going to win the fight against this deadly disease, we will need solutions that acknowledge the difficult circumstances so many Americans face. 

Betsy Huber is president of the National Grange, America’s oldest agricultural, rural life and small-town citizen advocacy organization. Follow the organization on Twitter @NationalGrange.