SALT LAKE CITY – Utahns 75 and older can receive the COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-February, according to Phase 2 of the state vaccine distribution plan.
The Utah Department of Health announced Monday details of Phase 2, which is expected to begin in February. The Utah COVID-19 Unified Command Group adopted health department recommendations for the second phase of vaccination under Governor Gary Herbert, according to a press release.
“We have seen older adults bear the heaviest disease burden in our state and across the country,” said health department interim executive director Rich Saunders. “These people are more likely to be hospitalized, need intensive care, and die of COVID-19. Ensuring that these members of our community receive the vaccine as soon as possible will save lives and help reduce the burden on our hospitals.”
Phase 1 of the vaccine distribution plan began earlier this month. Front-line health workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, as well as public and tribal health workers, are now vaccinated according to the plan.
K-12 teachers and first responders will be the next groups to receive the vaccine, likely in late January, according to the press release.
People over the age of 65 are much more likely to suffer severe effects from COVID-19. In Utah, 77% of deaths from the disease so far have occurred in people age 65 or older, according to the statement.
“As we move into phase 2 of our vaccination program, it simply makes the most sense to vaccinate those at the highest risk of hospitalization and death,” Herbert said. “We will continue to refine our plans and move forward under the principle that those who suffer most should be vaccinated first.”
According to the health department, no other groups have been announced to receive the vaccine in phase 2. however, age groups are likely to give priority to Utahns, according to the statement.
People with underlying medical problems and living in certain “congregation settings” can also be vaccinated in phase 2, according to the statement. The health department no longer takes into account work status or type of work when prioritizing groups for the vaccine.
“Focusing on age will do more to reduce infections and alleviate hospitalizations than any other category of individuals as we continue to administer vaccines,” Governor-elect Spencer Cox said in the statement. “I am very much in favor of this change and I know it will save lives.”
When phase 2 begins, people will receive the vaccine at the local health departments ’mass vaccination clinics. Later in phase 2, the vaccines will be distributed through local pharmacies and primary care providers, according to the statement.
Further details of Phase 2 have yet to be determined, such as how vaccine clinics will verify the ages of people seeking vaccines. You can learn more about Utah’s vaccination plans at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein