'Crippling' scarcity of COVID-19 vaccine hampers rollout in North Dakota, Minnesota
In allocating vaccines, the North Dakota Department of Health distributes vaccines first to the large health systems, including Sanford and Essentia, then to public health units, followed by retail pharmacies, said Monte Roemmich, a Sanford pharmacy manager. “As soon as we know vaccine is coming in, we work on scheduling, setting up appointments,” he said. Minnesota follows a different method, allocating vaccines through eight coalitions located throughout the state. The three distribution channels in North Dakota — a rotation between health systems, public health units and pharmacies â...