The Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) has filled all available COVID-19 vaccination appointments through the end of January.
Most of this week’s appointments were already filled by priority groups who registered previously. The SWUPHD will continue vaccinating previous priority groups as well, including non-hospital healthcare workers, first responders, K-12 school staff. Eligibility for other age groups and health conditions will be announced at a later time.
Online registration opened up Monday morning for residents aged 70 and over to sign up for next week’s clinics. Although some were able to access the department’s website to schedule appointments, the site became overwhelmed due to high demand. The SWUPHD was able to partner with state resources to open a temporary sign-up page at swuhealth.org, enabling people to fill the remaining slots.
“We understand how frustrating this is for many of our seniors,” says David Heaton, SWUPHD Public Information Officer. “We receive limited amounts of vaccine every week and are able to schedule every dose, but those slots go quickly. We ask for your patience as you check our website again next week for February openings. It will take many weeks to schedule and serve this age group.”
A consent form can also be printed from the website to fill out and bring to the appointment. Picture ID and a short-sleeved shirt will also be required. There is no cost for the vaccine although insurance information may be requested. Both full and part-time residents are eligible.
A second dose is needed about a month after the first COVID-19 shot for the best protection against the disease. The state of Utah is recommending that people who have tested positive for COVID-19 wait for 90 days after the positive test to get vaccinated.
You should not receive Covid-19 vaccine if you have a history of immediate allergic reaction to a previous dose of or any component of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including polyethylene glycol. Also, anyone who develops severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis after a first dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should not receive a second dose.
After Monday morning’s website issues, swuhealth.org will transition to Utah’s state servers by January 20, which should be able to handle future website surges. The phone line to schedule vaccinations for people without internet access (435-986-2549) will become active next week, once February clinic times are open.Residents will only be allowed to get vaccinated in the county they currently reside.
Please follow local news sources, our website at swuhealth.org, or social media at swuhealth for COVID-19 updates and vaccine eligibility announcements.
