By Shannon Klatt

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (CVH) – Stutsman County tops 13,083 COVID-19 vaccinations given as of April 8, 2021.

Central Valley Health District (CVHD) has administered 5,796 Moderna vaccinations and 2,469 Pfizer vaccinations and 160 Johnson and Johnson vaccinations, totally 8,425 vaccinations given as of this week. To date, 44.5% of Stutsman County residents have been vaccinated with at least once dose of the COVID vaccine, according to the ND Department of Health’s (NDDOH) dashboard.

Vaccinations continue to be given in the county by the enrolled providers including public health, pharmacies, congregate living agencies, and other healthcare facilities.

“Vaccination efforts continue throughout the community. We continue to receive increased allocations of vaccine and we anticipates that anyone wanting to be vaccinated should be able to do so.” reports Robin Iszler, CVHD Unit Administrator.

CVHD is aware that some people might have hesitancy in receiving the COVID vaccination. Some of the common questions/concerns regarding the vaccine that CVHD hears from the community includes:

·Should I be vaccinated if I had COVID? Yes. Vaccination can offer protection from re-infection. You can wait for 90 days following a positive COVID test if you would like. Vaccination can prevent you from transmitting the disease to others.

·Are there serious risks to vaccinations? No. While very uncommon, anaphylactic reactions have occurred following the vaccination, which is why is it requested to remain on site for monitoring following an injection. Over 167 million doses have been administered worldwide with very few serious reactions.

·Does the COVID vaccine cause infertility? No. This is a false claim and there is no evidence that COVID vaccine can lead to infertility. Information about this false claim can be reviewed in a NDDOH document found on the CVHD website at https://bit.ly/2OxXmVs.

·I would rather just have the disease than get a vaccine! Contracting COVID has proven to be deadly for some and has caused serious long term side effects for others. Receiving a vaccination prevents damage to your body caused by the disease. This damage can impact you for the rest of your life. The COVID vaccine does not include the live virus, meaning it does not give you the disease, rather it helps your body recognize the disease and improves your ability to fight the virus naturally.

CVHD encourages anyone wishing to receive a vaccination to sign up for the first available appointment offered to them. CVHD currently has open vaccination appointments available and they are posted on their website at www.centralvalleyhealth.org.

Participants who cannot register themselves are encouraged to call CVHD at 252-8130 for assistance.