SALT LAKE CITY – Gov. Spencer Cox said Utah will receive the newly approved vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday.
“So many have suffered through this pandemic,” said Cox. “A third authorized vaccine tells me that even in our darkest times, miracles still happen.”
The vaccine is authorized for people 18 and older, but the Utah vaccines will be distributed according to pre-existing eligibility standards, Cox’s office said.
The Utah Department of Health is working to correct an error that allowed 7,200 ineligible Utahns to schedule vaccine appointments.
“An error in the registration system at Vaccinate.Utah.Gov allowed Utah residents who are currently not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine to schedule appointments,” the department said in a statement. “About 7,200 people who did not meet the eligibility criteria were able to make appointments.”
The ineligible appointments will be canceled in the next 24 hours, according to the statement, and email notifications will be sent to those whose appointment has been canceled.
Several people found out about the error on social media and have already canceled their appointments, health officials said.
“We apologize for this error and for any confusion it has caused. The eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine can be found at coronavirus.utah / gov / vaccine,” the statement said.
Those who believe their appointment has been wrongly canceled should contact the health department where they scheduled their appointment or try to schedule their appointment online.