The focus of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has now fully shifted to the vaccination phase, as states across America try to get needles in the arms of as many of their residents as they can in an attempt to turn the tide on a virus that has infected nearly 29 million people and killed more than 517 thousand in the past year.

According to a recent report by Forbes magazine, South Dakota continues to be one of the states that have seen the most effective vaccine rollouts.

The Mount Rushmore State trails only Alaska and New Mexico in the distribution of the Pfizer and Moderna shots.

Get our free mobile app

According to the latest information (March 3) on the South Dakota Department of Health website, 229,762 doses of vaccine have been administered to 150,076 people in the state, with 26.48 percent of the population receiving at least one dose.

Currently, the state of South Dakota is in the first part of Phase 1D in the vaccine distribution plan:

  • Persons Aged 65 Years and Older
  • High-Risk Patients - dialysis, post-transplant, and active cancer
  • High-Risk Residents in Congregate Settings, Residents in Licensed Independent Living Facilities, and Residents of Licensed Group Homes
  • Persons with underlying medical conditions under the age of 65

Up next will be:

  • Teachers and Other School/College Staff
  • Funeral Service Workers

Overall, 16 other states have vaccinated 20% or more of their populations, while six states have vaccination rates below 17%.

Georgia has experienced the slowest rollout so far, with just 15.5% of its adults vaccinated.

Across the nation, 48.4 million Americans have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot.

The Funniest Coronavirus Memes & Tweets That Will Get Us All Through This

 

More From KIKN-FM / Kickin' Country 99.1/100.5