Some vaccine providers, including public health units in Burleigh and Morton, have already opened access to the general public, but other providers are still focusing on Phase 1C, which includes essential workers and adults with underlying conditions.
The Pfizer vaccine is approved for emergency use at age 16, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for those over 18 years of age.
Molly Howell, state immunization coordinator, said 16- and 17-year-olds may find it harder to make appointments than adults because they can only enroll for the Pfizer vaccine, and most of the doses are distributed in urban areas for logistical reasons. Howell recommended that North Dakotans search Pfizer vaccine websites between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine between the ages of 16 and 17: https://vaccinefinder.org/search/.
Howell said officials decided to open access to the vaccine because many North Dakotans were unsure whether they qualified for the jab under Phase 1C’s broad definitions of essential workers and underlying conditions. The confusion over compliance with the admission requirements may lower the demand for the vaccine, but there may also be more skepticism about being immunized among younger adults who are just eligible, Howell said.
As the admission requirements will soon disappear, state officials are urging North Dakotans to do their part to help the state achieve herd immunity against COVID-19. Howell noted that the faster the state achieves herd immunity, the faster it can cast masking and social distance recommendations.
Howell said residents who fit into priority groups, such as health care workers, residents of nursing homes and people with underlying conditions, should still seek the vaccine if they have not yet received their shots.
Alaska and Mississippi already have eligible vaccines for the general population, while a handful of states plan to widen access to the jab over the next few weeks.
North Dakota is a national leader in effective vaccine distribution, with a total of 326,849 shots fired. About 16% of the state’s population was fully vaccinated, and 27% received the first dose.
Health experts say the positive effects of mass vaccination are already evident in nursing homes in North Dakota, where more than 90% of residents have been given at least one chance.
More than half of COVID-19 deaths in the state occur in long-term care facilities, but the infection and mortality rate among residents dropped rapidly after the state’s November peak and has remained extraordinarily low since the vaccines became available to the group. . There are currently only six nursing home residents known to have COVID-19.
Scientists are still investigating whether the available COVID-19 vaccines are effective against emerging strains of the virus from the UK, South Africa, Brazil and California, but Kirby Kruger, director of state disease control, says early signs are good.
Although none of the vaccines have been approved for children under 16, Howell said parents should keep abreast of news about ongoing vaccination trials in adolescents. Howell said the COVID-19 vaccine is already authorizing for children this summer.
The Department of Health urges residents to seek more information at www.health.nd.gov/covidvaccinelocator.
As a public service, we have opened this article to everyone, regardless of subscription status. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by signing in on the button in the top right corner of the homepage.