As vaccination rates stall, COVID-19 continues to evolve – with highly contagious variants affecting younger patient populations and prompting an increase in hospitalizations state-wide, including across eastern North Carolina. “We were in a good place. Transmission had slowed down, more and more people were getting vaccinated and protected, hospitalization days started to really come down, number of cases started to come down – and many of us thought we were in the last leg of this marathon,” said Dr. Niti Armistead, chief medical officer for Vidant Health. “What changed was the vaccination rates just hit a wall.” Vidant Health has appointments available for anyone eligible to receive the vaccine. Visit VidantHealth.com/vaccinate and schedule yours today. For the latest on the current state of COVID-19 and what you need to know to protect yourself, visit vidanthealth.com/covid-19-variants-continue-to-evolve-positive-cases-and-hospitalizations-increase. #HelpUsENC