Gov. Cox announces Utahns age 18+ eligible for vaccine boosters
Nov 18, 2021, 10:40 AM
FILE (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.)
(Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.)
SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of Utahns will be eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot beginning Friday, according to Gov. Spencer Cox.
All Utahns age 18 and older who received their second dose of Pfizer’s or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago or their Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago will be eligible for a booster dose.
Cox made the announcement during his monthly press conference Thursday.
“Under current CDC guidance and FDA emergency use authorization, those 18 and older who live or work in high-risk settings are eligible for booster doses,” the governor’s Twitter account said. “Almost all Utahns live in high-transmission counties and are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.”
The Utah Department of Health will hold a press conference at noon Thursday to answer questions regarding the rollout of booster shots.
Cox called on health care providers and vaccine administrators to reach out to Utahns age 65 and older to make sure they can access and receive a booster shot.
The governor added over 44,000 Utah children ages 5-11 (12.1%) have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly 228,000 children ages 12-18 (62.1%) have received their first shot.
Over 2 million Utahns have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 55% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated, as of Thursday.
