Utah hits 70% vaccination goal

UPDATE: In response to an error reported by the Utah Department of Health, Gov. Spencer J. Cox issued a letter to the people of Utah on July 12, 2021. Read it here.

SALT LAKE CITY (July 6, 2021) — Big news: We’ve hit the 70% vaccination goal for Utahns 18+! 

As of July 4, the Utah Department of Health showed 65.2% Utahns 18+ had received at least one vaccine dose. But this doesn’t count doses administered by the VA, Department of Defense, those in corrections facilities, or the Indian Health Services. When those 114,908 federal doses are counted, that brings us to 1,596,999 doses. 

Utah’s population of 18+ is 2,274,774. The percentage of 18+ with their first dose (1,596,999/2,274,774) is 70.2%! And this number is only going to go up.

Some may ask, if we’re at 70.2%, why does the CDC only show Utah at 64.4% of 18+ year olds vaccinated with at least one dose? Well, we’ve had multiple conversations with the CDC about the discrepancies and they are working to resolve them. 

This is truly a milestone worth celebrating! 

We’d like to thank those of you who went and received your first dose vaccination. During the last 2 weeks (June 21 – July 4), 36,219 first doses were administered, including 245 first doses that were recorded on the 4th. This is phenomenal! 

We couldn’t have done it without our Utah Department of Health team who has worked so diligently since the beginning of this pandemic. We also can’t thank our local health departments enough. They scrambled to take the lead on setting up mass vaccine sites all across the state, and continue to provide vaccines in their communities. 

We’d like to thank the Salt Lake Chamber for their partnership in initiating the “Bring it Home” campaign, and businesses who encourage vaccinations for employees and their families. 

Most of all, we’re grateful for all the nurses, doctors, health care workers, hospitals and volunteers (including the Utah National Guard) who continue to work tirelessly to get us all vaccinated! 

While we hit our “70% by July 4” goal, we’re not out of the woods yet. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over. We’re still very concerned about the recent rise in cases and hospitalizations. And some parts of the state, including many of our rural areas and communities of color, remain below 70% vaccinated. 

We’ve got to keep working to exceed 70% statewide. 

If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, talk with your doctor. Visit coronavirus.utah.gov to find a vaccine site or to book a mobile unit to come to your workplace, church, social club or neighborhood. 

Thanks again, Utah!

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