Governor Spencer Cox announced yesterday that all individuals aged 16 and over with certain underlying medical conditions are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Utah.
“We have a lot more vaccines coming and they will be coming soon,” Cox said at this week’s COVID-19 press conference. “We are prioritizing these individuals, again based on age and these underlying comorbidities, because they are at the greatest risk of hospitalization or death.”
The list of approved underlying conditions that qualify an individual to receive the vaccine can be found on our vaccine distribution page.
Cox asked the public to be patient with local pharmacies and health departments as they adapt to the change and update their appointment systems to accommodate the new eligibility requirements.
Please note that only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the CDC for administration to individuals aged 16 to 17 years.
The opening of vaccine eligibility for this new group comes ahead of schedule in the distribution schedule of the original vaccine. Cox said he is impressed with the speed with which providers have been able to administer the vaccines and is committed to speeding up the schedule whenever possible.
“In just one week, we administered the first dose of the vaccine to 29% of Utahns aged 65 to 69,” said Cox.
Also at Thursday’s briefing, Cox announced that from now on Utahns will be able to schedule an appointment with any health department, rather than just the health department where they live. This change is being made to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible to those who want them.
When making an appointment, remember that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses with an interval of approximately three to four weeks. You will need to receive your second dose at the same location as the first. Please plan accordingly. You can find a list of contact information for the health department, as well as links to local pharmacies that are administering vaccines on our vaccine distribution page.