Cox, officials aiming for total adult virus vaccination by end of May

Utah Department of Health Executive Director Rich Saunders told a Utah Senate committee recently that Utah will have enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate every Utahn before June. In addressing the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Saunders said, “We will reach all of the adult population, if 100 percent of them wanted it, by the end of May.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox agreed with Saunders in a recent COVID-19 update press conference. Cox compared the state’s healthcare workers to Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell toiling in the fourth quarter of a close game.

“When things are close, but we can see the end and things are going well, and we have a whole bunch of Donovan Mitchells that are stepping up right now,” Cox said. “And those are our vaccine providers, those who are working so hard every single day to get vaccines in arms. and that work is starting to pay off.”

Cox said that vaccine administration is currently exceeding 100,000 doses given each week. But to meet the June 1 goal, it will take a huge amount of logistical planning that involves Utah at least tripling its current vaccine administration output, he said.

Cox also issued a call for volunteers to help with the massive effort. There is an immediate need for licensed medical professionals who can administer vaccines, but people without medical licenses will be needed in the coming weeks and months for other vaccine-related tasks.

Volunteers can go to utahresponds.org and register to see volunteer opportunities.