SALT LAKE CITY – Early Utahns have received the COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial, officials said Tuesday.
The vaccination took place Tuesday morning at the University of Utah Hospital. A nurse from the intensive care unit named Christy was the first person to receive the vaccine in Utah, U.S. health officials said on Twitter. At least two more health workers were inoculated shortly after Christy, a live Facebook video shows.
Christy, a UIC nurse at U Health, is the first person in Utah to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. pic.twitter.com/brU0XtRmKs
– University of Utah Health (@UofUHealth) December 15, 2020
U.S. health officials are scheduled to speak at a press conference on vaccines on Tuesday at noon.
Front-line health workers are the first to receive the vaccine this month. Residents and staff at long-term care facilities, as well as teachers, will also be in the first wave of Utahns to be inoculated, health officials said.
Intermountain Healthcare is also scheduled to begin vaccinating workers this afternoon at Salt Lake City LDS Hospital.
Approximately 154,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in Utah this month.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein