Lawmakers ask state to stop calling residents about COVID-19 vaccine

BISMARCK, N.D. – Two Republican state legislators are asking North Dakota health officials to stop calling residents to offer information on the coronavirus vaccine.

Sens. Jessica Bell and Nicole Poolman sent a letter to State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi expressing concern about the role of state government in “personal health choices” and patient privacy.

Both lawmakers said they had heard from constituents who were called and given vaccine information.

Poolman said the people she talked to wanted to know how state government knew that they hadn’t been vaccinated. Wehbi says the calls are a well-established, effective tool to increase immunization coverage.