PROVO – Two Utah health departments are warning that they are running out of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and that supply exceeds current demand.
“In Utah County, we certainly feel the slowdown,” said Aislynn Tolman-Hill, a spokeswoman for the Utah County Department of Health. “Every day seems to be more of a slowdown in the fact that the population aged 70 and older is signing up for appointments.”
Employees in the Utah County Department of Health worked empty-handed on Friday. The Utah Valley hospital even raised the residency requirement and did not require an appointment.
“Everyone we receive is one less who has to sign up,” Tolman-Hill said. “So this is something that is certainly of concern to us from now until March 1, until we move into the next priority population.”
As of March, Utah is expected to allow those over 65 to be vaccinated.
“We would be absolutely ready to move on to the next priority group sooner if they allow us to,” said Joshua Greer, a spokesman for the Bear River Health Department. – We’re in that moment.
VIDEO: “We had 200, 300 people who do not show up at the clinic.”
The Bear River Health Department had to work quickly to find people for # COVID-19#Vaccine after hundreds did not show up for meetings earlier in the week.
The full story is as follows @ KSL5TV at 18 o’clock @kslnewsradiopic.twitter.com/Ob3DbMJy21
– Ladd Egan (@laddegan) February 13, 2021
In addition to Utah County, the Bear River Department of Health, which covers three counties in the northern part of the state, also reported difficulties in completing appointments.
“Our appointments for the last week of February have not yet been met,” Greer said. “So we’re in the same boat as Utah County.”
On Friday, the Bear River Health Department had to work quickly to find people to come to the vaccine clinic after hundreds failed to show up earlier in the week.
“I took this whole vaccine out of the freezer,” Greer said. “It should be used this week so it doesn’t get lost.”
To meet the appointments for the coming weeks, both health departments hope that the public will help spread the word to those over 70 and that it has never been easier to get the vaccine.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find people in this category to sign up and take these doses,” Greer said.
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Ladd Egan