SALT LAKE CITY – While all adults are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in a matter of weeks, experts say there’s a reason people with underlying health conditions get priority. A kidney transplant in Utah explains why he is so grateful that he was able to receive the injection.
Greg Boss from Holladay is considered high risk. He has been married to his lover for 25 years. Just after they got back from their honeymoon, Boss started to feel sick.
He says his life changed in 2001 when he had a kidney transplant at the age of 34.
’12 April. I can remember the day. It has snowed, ”he said. “My wife’s little brother gave me one of his kidneys and next month we’re celebrating 20 years.”
Kidney disease runs in its family. “We’re still fighting that fight and trying to make it last as long as possible,” Boss said.
Boss is a father of three and was largely in good health until December 2019, when he ended up in the hospital again for six weeks after heart surgery. “I had a quadruple bypass and the valve was being repaired,” he said.
He felt grateful that he was still alive. “(I) got out of the hospital and ended up in the pandemic,” he said.
The entire Boss family has taken great precautions to protect him from COVID-19.
“They don’t want to be the ones to take Father something home and so they have to sacrifice quite a bit to keep me safe,” Boss said. “It was challenging and we had to come together as a family and as a community to really help each other.”
Boss says he was so excited to get the vaccine because he was eligible for his underlying medical conditions. He said it was a surreal moment. “Now all of a sudden we have a vaccine a year later and I have a much greater chance against it,” he said.
Dr. Tamara Sheffield of Intermountain Healthcare, medical director of community health and prevention, said the state has prioritized people like Boss for a reason. “But then there are other health care conditions that put people at high risk of death, and that’s why we’ve gone through the highest risk conditions and continue to evolve into others,” she explained.
Sheffield says the state is following the CDC’s investigation and recommendations. “As we get more supply, it will be easier for us to comply with those recommendations,” she said, which now includes those with diabetes, kidney disease and a BMI of 30 or higher.
As the vaccine will soon become more widely available, she is urging all Utahns to get the injection.
“We need these vaccines to protect ourselves, but if you protect yourself, you protect other people too,” Sheffield said. “I’ll tell you that even people who are healthy and strong have had serious complications. So it’s important for you personally, but it’s also for that person close to you, or for your friend or your friend’s mother, who potentially at risk. “
Sheffield says the COVID-19 vaccine is a sign of hope for change in the community. She adds that the greatest gift of vaccination is peace of mind. “You don’t have to worry so much about provoking yourself or spreading disease among those you love,” she said.
Boss feels blessed to be healthy for his wife and three children. “I can’t live in fear, can I? I just have to do my best every day and try to make a difference in someone else’s life,” he said. “There’s a reason I’m here and I’m doing everything I can to make the most of it,” he said.
While the research is still ongoing, Sheffield said experts expect that about 70% to 90% of Utahns will need to be vaccinated to slow the transmission of COVID-19.
Sheffield encourages those who have struggled to get a vaccination appointment to be patient. “Don’t worry, we’ll be getting a lot more vaccine week after week and you’ll have easy access, in a fairly short amount of time. Be patient and persistent,” she said.
Intermountain Healthcare is a leading partner with the state in vaccine distribution. To sign up for an appointment, Utahns can also go to coronavirus.utah.gov.