Idaho resort region, once COVID-19 hotspot, is vaccine leader

NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — A popular Idaho ski destination had one of the highest per-capita rates of coronavirus in the country at the start of the pandemic last year.

Now the Sun Valley region is leading the state — and most of the country — in vaccinating its citizens.

The Idaho Press reports numbers from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare show that more than 87% of Blaine County residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to healthdata.gov, 80% of the county’s residents are fully vaccinated, which puts the county in the top 10 among more than 3,000 counties nationwide.