FARGO — North Dakota has the sixth lowest rate of coronavirus vaccinations in the U.S., according to a recent study.

The Peace Garden State reported 71.3% of its adults got at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, according to a study recently released by the

Zinda Law Group.

The study estimated 171,968 adults in the state did not get the vaccine.

Wyoming topped the list, having the lowest vaccination rate with 64.3% for adults. Louisiana was second with 70%, Oklahoma third with 70.6%, Montana fourth with 70.7% and Alabama fifth with 71.2%.

South Dakota ranked 10th after 73.3% of its adults received a COVID-19 vaccine. Minnesota tied Utah for 28th at 80.6%.

That means 860,774 adults in Minnesota were not inoculated, the study said.

Rhode Island and Massachusetts had the highest rates with 90.1%, the study said. Hawaii had the second highest rate with 88.9%.

“The data indicates that certain states differ quite significantly in terms of COVID-19 vaccination rates,” Zinda Law Group said. “This could be attributed to several factors, including access to healthcare, vaccine availability, and varying public confidence in the vaccine itself.”

The study analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s unclear what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to effectively prevent significant spread.

In North Dakota, about 20% of adults, or about 121,037, got updated vaccines in 2023 and 2024, the study said. That number was almost 21% for South Dakota.

The study didn’t have those numbers for Minnesota.

Some vaccinations given in 2023 and 2024 are expected to expire this summer, the CDC said.

North Dakota Health and Human Services recommends all North Dakotans who are 6 months and older get updated COVID-19 vaccinations, state Immunization Director Molly Howell told The Forum in a statement. It is the most effective way to prevent severe illness, especially among residents who are at least 65 years old, she said. The vaccine is also important for anyone with chronic conditions, who is immunocompromised or who is pregnant.

“Staying up to date provides the best protection because the COVID-19 virus mutates over time, and the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness decreases over time,” Howell said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is routinely updated.”

She acknowledged that getting a COVID-19 vaccination “is an individual choice.”

“According to the National Immunization Survey from June 2023, North Dakotans who would probably or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccine were less concerned about COVID-19 illness, had lower confidence in vaccine safety, did not see the vaccine as important to protect themselves and had fewer friends and family members who were vaccinated,” Howell said in her statement.

North Dakota reported 312,313 positive cases of coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic as of Aug. 9, the latest data available from Health and Human Services. There were 319 new cases last week.

The most cases North Dakota had in one week was in late January 2022, when the state reported 15,926, according to the health agency. The most hospitalizations came in mid-November 2020, when 527 people were in hospitals, according to state data.

At one point,

North Dakota had the most COVID-19 cases and related deaths per capita in the U.S.

As of July 31, the state reported 2,134 coronavirus-related deaths. The most came in 2020, when 1,159 people lost their lives.

The state reported 33 people have died from the illness this year.

North Dakota offers help to those who can’t afford vaccines at

shorturl.at/rZcDI.

For more state information on the coronavirus, go to

hhs.nd.gov/health/coronavirus.

KATHRYN, N.D. — A man and woman were injured when the man lost control of the utility task vehicle (UTV) he was driving and it rolled near here, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Driver Clay Hatlewick, a 30-year-old man from Yipsilanti, and his passenger, Tiffany Winson, a 36-year-old woman from Jamestown, were both injured in the crash in a muddy field around 4:22 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. He was not taken to a hospital but she was taken to Mercy Hospital in Valley City with non life-threatening injuries. Neither were wearing seat belts.

Hatlewick was charged with DUI and criminal vehicular injury, according to the Highway Patrol, which is still investigating the crash.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

To the editor,

In most of the nation, all you need to do is to step outside to feel one of North Dakota’s deadliest hazards: extreme heat.

So far in 2024, the dangers of heat illness have killed 34 workers. In July, the U.S. Department of Labor announced publication of a proposed rule to reduce the significant health risks for workers exposed to hazardous heat in outdoor and indoor settings.

As heat sets new records across the nation, the risks people face on the job are rising. Dozens of workers needlessly lose their lives and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazards that, sadly, are most often preventable.

As OSHA moves through the regulatory process to develop a new regulation that keeps workers safe from the dangers of heat, the agency will use its authority to hold employers responsible when they fail to protect workers. It includes OSHA’s power to stop employers from exposing workers to imminent workplace dangers.

Since 2022, the agency has conducted heat-related inspections under its

National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards

. The program allows OSHA to proactively inspect workplaces where heat-related hazards are common to prevent workers’ needless injuries, illnesses or deaths. Since it began, the program has led to more than 7,000 federal heat-related inspections, including 85 inspections in North Dakota in 2023-2024.

OSHA is making inspections a priority in agricultural industries where temporary, non-immigrant H-2A workers are employed seasonally. These workers can be especially vulnerable, often with language barriers, less control over living and working conditions and lack of time to acclimatize to the heat.

Federal law requires employers to protect people from all workplace dangers, including heat exposure. When heat is a concern, employers must — at a minimum — provide adequate cool water, rest breaks and shade or a cool rest area. New employees or those returning to a high-heat workplace should get time to gradually get used to working in heat.

As we celebrate Labor Day, let’s remember that these protections must be applied equally. A safe workplace is every worker’s right, regardless of color, language, socio-economic status or gender. Nobody should have to risk their safety, health or life at work. Workers deserve to return home at the end of their shift in the same condition they began it.

Scott Overson
OSHA area director for North Dakota