North Dakota continues to have one of the highest rates in the country for administering doses of COVID-19 vaccine, which one medical officer said Tuesday is due in part to the willingness of residents to get the shots.
Dr. Doug Griffin, vice president and chief medical officer at Sanford Health in Fargo, said the state’s preparation efforts, its small size and eager volunteers have helped the pace of immunizations.
“I think we’ve had very good acceptance of the vaccine, both on staff and with patients when they’re offered,” Griffin said. “Kudos to recognizing that it’s safe and effective.”
North Dakota is currently receiving fewer than 10,000 doses of vaccine a week, about half of what Griffin had expected.
North Dakota health officials on Tuesday confirmed 135 new positive tests for the coronavirus and four new deaths, lifting the totals to 96,874 cases and 1,415 fatalities since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations dropped by two, to 48.
