OGDEN, Utah – Another 15,148 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine in Utah, the state health department reported on Saturday.
So far, 27,542 people have been fully vaccinated, with another 194,733 in Utah having received the first dose — meaning almost 7% of Utahns have begun the process or are well on their way.
Health officials have said at least 70% of Utahns need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to impact further spread of the disease.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted on Saturday saying that when he became governor, Utah was vaccinating 5,000 per day and by Friday, the number increased to at least 15,000, because “our local health departments have stepped up in a big way.” He said changes included a focus on using what the state has to vaccinate as many people as possible with a first dose; also, redistributing vaccines when they aren’t being used efficiently.
The 13 local health departments across the state are doing what they can to get the vaccine to groups currently eligible, which include health care workers, long-term health care facility residents and staff, public school teachers and staff, and Utahns age 70 and older. And Cox has given them carte blanche to get it done — “every day we are providing new resources: Upgrading servers, call centers, data entry and nurses,” he tweeted.
Many health districts have reported full bookings through February.
Cox has said second doses of the vaccine will remain reserved for all Utahns who get the first dose, until a week after the second dose is scheduled. At that point, he said, it will be reallocated and used as a first dose for someone else.
On Twitter on Saturday, he said that doesn’t mean a person won’t get their second dose, just that the state will move through its supply of vaccine as quickly as possible.
“From day one, I’ve said, ‘We will use every dose within seven days. If you’re not using it, you shouldn’t have it,’” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Friday, regarding the backlog of doses sitting unused on the shelves at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies due to federal contracts. Cox said they have more than they need to accomplish their goal of vaccinating clients and personnel at long-term care facilities.
“… We just need more vaccine supply,” Cox tweeted Saturday. “We are currently receiving 33,000 first doses each week … and we just delivered 50,000 doses in four days. We need more and we will be ready. We are lucky to have so many dedicated professionals making it happen.”
He told Cuomo that Utah’s allotment of 33,000 vaccines each week will be used by Wednesday. “And that will happen every week until we get more,” Cox said.