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West Valley City Journal

Councilmember coordinates large-scale COVID-19 vaccination providers in Utah

Mar 04, 2021 01:23PM ● By Darrell Kirby

The large-scale COVID-19 vaccination distribution in Utah to be coordinated by West Valley City Councilmember Jake Fitisemanu (center). (Travis Barton/City Journals file photo)

By Darrell Kirby | [email protected]

West Valley City Councilman Jake Fitisemanu has another task added to his busy schedule as a council member and his full-time job as a program manager for the Utah Department of Health’s COVID-19 Active Response Team.

He has been given the extra duty of coordinating UDOH’s High-Volume Vaccination Coalition. 

Fitisemanu says that entails overseeing a group of public and private health-care entities in Utah with which the state has contracted to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. They include 13 local health departments across the state and major providers like University of Utah Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Revere Health, Nomi Health and Community Nursing Services. 

“The objective of the High Volume Coalition is to equitably and efficiently distribute the vaccine doses that are allocated to the state, with the goal of having all vaccines administered to the public within seven days of arriving in Utah,” Fitisemanu told the West Valley City Journal by email. 

“The coordination has been fairly smooth because all of the coalition providers are operating within their dose capacities in their respective jurisdictions.” 

The consortium has the capability of providing at least 1,000 COVID-19 vaccinations a day across the state. Mass vaccinations, including for first responders, have been provided at sites like the Maverik Center in West Valley City and Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy. 

Large retail pharmacy chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart are now offering vaccines on a smaller scale to eligible people. 

“We are actively planning to address the increased need for capacity once additional manufacturers come onto the market and federal allocations to our state continue to increase,” Fitisemanu said. 

For the latest information on when, where, and for whom COVID-19 vaccinations are currently being offered in Salt Lake County, visit the county Health Department website at www.slco.org/health/COVID-19/vaccine.