Utahns 65 and older are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Starting Thursday people 65-69 can get immunized from any vaccine provider, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
"We were scheduling to do this on March 1, but we are moving it up," he said. "So we always want demand to outpace supply. That's how we make sure that every vaccine is being used, that we always have vaccines in arms instead of on shelves."
Summit and Wasatch Counties have updated their websites to allow those who are 65 years and older to register online.
Cox said people with underlying medical conditions - like chronic heart disease, cancer and a compromised immune system along other conditions- will still be able to get a vaccine starting March 1.
"It gives us a little bit of time," he said. "Those two categories combined 65 and older and underlying health conditions was about 400,000 people. By splitting it up this way, we'll be able to move people through a little more easily. "
He said the state hopes to finish vaccinating both people with medical conditions and people over 65 by the end of March. Then they will move onto opening availability for the next group.
"Next, it will be 60 to 64, right, and then 55 to 59," he said. "We're working with the experts at the health department to layer in the rest of the comorbidities, those underlying health conditions that aren't as serious as this first wave, but are still serious."
Cox said he’s still confident that all Utah adults will have access to the vaccine by May.
