High-Risk Davis County Teen Excited To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

FARMINGTON, Utah — Teenagers have been encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine as the rollout continues in Utah, with shots being administered directly in some high schools. For one Davis County family with a high-risk 16-year-old, that news brought much-needed excitement and hope.

“We are so ready to get back out there and start living life,” said Liz Taylor.

For Liz Taylor and her daughter Emma, getting the COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday was a big step in the right direction.

“We have been counting down the days because she’s got a lot of health issues, and so we have been basically quarantined since last March,” said Taylor.

For them, it was no question. They got the first appointment available at the Farmington Fair Grounds after Emma’s 16th birthday.

“Amazing,” said Emma Taylor. “Finally going to do more normal stuff and not feel so scared about getting COVID.”

Several districts in Utah have started offering clinics for their 16 and over students, including a couple in Tooele County. 

Doctor Andrew Pavia with University Health said the vaccine was important, even for teens who may not have pre-existing conditions.

“Although it’s not as bad of a disease for kids as it is for adults, it’s still no picnic,” said Pavia.

He said teens will be able to better protect those around them.

“As a teenager, you’d like to be comfortable that you can be around your grandparents, your older neighbors and not worry at all about infecting them,” said Pavia.

For the Taylors, part of the hope was that more teens will take that same opportunity.

“We just have been so so super careful, and even the glimmer of hope that life can get back to a little more normalcy is amazing,” said Liz.

Doctor Pavia added that at this point in the game, there should be less vaccine hesitancy out there.

With hundreds of millions now vaccinated in the U.S., he said we’ve now seen that the shots are effective and safe. 

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How do I prevent it?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.