Intermountain caregivers and community members prioritized to receive vaccines at this time can access vaccines through their local health department. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has identified the following to receive vaccines at this time: healthcare workers, long-term care facility staff and residents, first responders, individuals 70 and older, and K-12 teachers and school staff.
You can also get on a waiting list to initiate the vaccine series as soon as supplies become available within our health system by completingthis onlineform. Intermountain leaders anticipate receiving more vaccines for caregivers in the coming weeks.
As of January 25, more than 34,000 Intermountain caregivers, medical staff members, affiliates, and partners (from R1, Cerner, DXC, and GE) have been vaccinated for COVID-19 with their first dose, and more than 12,000 have also received their second dose. In total, 77 percent of those who received a first dose have scheduled their second dose so far.
Why is the second dose important? Second doses for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are critical to offering more complete and extended protection against COVID-19. Second doses are more effective in protecting everyone from the virus that causes COVID-19, and also in helping reduce community spread and therefore mutation of the virus. Please schedule your second shot.
Access the second dose in recommended timeframe. Second doses should be administered 21 days after the first dose for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 28 days after the first dose for the Moderna vaccine. To be most effective, these timeframes can’t be shortened. The timing of the second dose doesn’t need to be exact, and a few days after the 21- or 28- day mark is fine. However, the timeframes should be significantly extended only if the individual contracts and tests positive for COVID-19 after the first dose (wait 90 days after symptoms end). Individuals who experienced a severe adverse reaction to the first dose shouldn’t receive a second dose. Otherwise you should receive your second dose 21 or 28 days after the first.
Intermountain will reserve second doses for individuals who received their first dose, but we can’t hold on to second doses indefinitely owing to storage requirements and access needs. The Utah Department of Health may also soon be asking health systems to use the remainder of their second doses by a deadline or return inventory to the state. Intermountain is following the state’s direction and guidance on vaccine allocation and administration.
How can I schedule an appointment for a vaccination or ask for help? If you received your first dose and haven’t yet scheduled your second dose, please schedule your appointment as soon as possible using the email sent from Sean Meegan titled “Schedule your 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose,” sent to the address you entered at your first-dose appointment. If you haven’t received that email, please double check all email addresses you regularly use, and be sure to check spam folders.
If you haven’t received the email, submit this online form. When your information has been verified and updated, you should expect to receive the “Schedule your 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose” email within a few days. You can also access the COVID-19 Vaccine Intermountain.net page, reach out to your leader, or contact AskHR by calling 801-442-7547 or by emailing AskHR@imail.org.