Vaccine supply is low, but North Dakota taking care of shots

N.D. — 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.

Statistics compiled Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that North Dakota has delivered 9,873 shots per 100,000 people, which ranks only behind Alaska, West Virginia and New Mexico in per capita doses.

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.

“It’s going slowly,” he said. “From what I know the state is lobbying to get more. Everybody is working hard to get as much as we can.”

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.