North Dakota among states with lowest coronavirus vaccination rates, study says

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.