SALT LAKE CITY – While all adults will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in just a few weeks, experts say there is a reason why those with underlying health conditions have priority. A kidney transplant in Utah shares why he is so grateful that he managed to get the shot.
Greg Boss of Holladay is considered high risk. He is married to his girlfriend of 25 years. As soon as they returned from their honeymoon, Boss began to feel unwell.
He says his life changed in 2001, when he underwent a kidney transplant at just 34 years old.
“April 12. I remember the day. It snowed,” he said. “My wife’s younger brother donated one of my kidneys and we’re celebrating 20 years next month.”
Kidney disease occurs in his family. “We’re still fighting that fight and trying to make it last as long as possible,” Boss said.
Boss is the father of three children and largely enjoyed good health until December 2019, when he returned to the hospital for six weeks after heart surgery. “We had a quadruple bypass and the valve was repaired,” he said.
He felt grateful just to be alive. “(I) got out of the hospital and somehow got into a pandemic,” he said.
The whole Boss family has taken great precautions to protect them from taking COVID-19.
“They don’t want to be the ones to bring something to my father’s house, and that’s why they had to sacrifice enough to keep me safe,” Boss said. “It was a challenge and we had to come together as a family and as a community to really help each other.”
Boss says he was so excited to receive the vaccine, qualifying based on his basic medical condition. He said it was a surreal moment. “Now, all of a sudden, we have a vaccine a year later and I have a much better chance of fighting it,” he said.
Dr. Tamara Sheffield, Intermountain Healthcare, medical director for community health and prevention, said the state has given priority to people like Boss for a reason. “But there are other health care conditions that put people at high risk of death, and that’s why we’ve moved on to the ones with the highest risk and then we continue to progress to others,” she explained.
Sheffield says the state is following the research and recommendations provided by the CDC. “The more offers we get, the easier it is for us to comply with these recommendations,” she said, which now includes people with diabetes, kidney disease and a BMI of 30 or higher.
As the vaccine soon becomes widely available, it urges all Utahians to get the vaccine.
“We need these vaccines to protect us, but when you protect yourself, you protect other people,” Sheffield said. “I will tell you that even healthy and strong people have had some serious complications. So it is important for you personally, but it is also for that person in your neighborhood or for your friend or your friend’s mother who could be exposed to risk. “
Sheffield says the COVID-19 vaccine is a sign of hope for change in the community. She adds that the greatest gift of vaccination is peace of mind. “You don’t have to worry so much about provoking yourself or spreading disease to those you love,” she said.
Boss feels blessed to be healthy for his wife and three children. “I can’t live life with fear, can I? I just have to do everything I can every day and try to make a difference in someone else’s life,” he said. “There’s a reason I’m here and I’m doing my best to make the most of it,” he said.
While research is still ongoing, Sheffield said experts anticipate that about 70% to 90% of Utahns will need to be vaccinated to slow COVID-19 transmission.
Sheffield encourages those who have struggled to get a vaccination meeting to be patient. “Don’t worry, we will receive many more vaccines week after week and you will be able to easily have access in a fairly short period of time. Just be patient and persistent,” she said.
Intermountain Healthcare is a leading partner with the state in vaccine distribution. To sign up for an appointment, Utahns can also visit coronavirus.utah.gov.