By BARBARA GREEN
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The impact of the surging Delta Variant of the COVID-19 virus has forced Montague County Health Authority Dr. Chance Dingler to rethink vaccine recommendations for his own children and others.
In the June 9 edition of The Bowie News, Dr. Chance Dingler appeared cautiously optimistic the pandemic could be waning. In the six weeks, prior there had been no admissions to Nocona General Hospital for COVID-19 patients and few positive tests. The county’s vaccination rate was 28.40%.
At that time Dingler, also the Montague County health authority, expressed his own concerns and a desire for more data about the vaccine for younger adults, and his own kids, ages 17-23 had not yet been vaccinated, although he and his wife had received the vaccine.
On July 26 things changed as the doctor reported he would be arranging for his children to get their first shots as soon as possible.
Dingler said after the Delta Variant “started kicking ass,” he had to rethink his view.

“All the data shows the Delta virus is the most easily transmissible and has now become the dominant strain. We’ve had an uptick here in positive cases and two in the hospital recently including one who passed away,” explained the doctor.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.