SALT LAKE CITY — Utah, like all U.S. states, is preparing for a Covid-19 vaccine. A letter to governors across the country from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said distribution of the vaccine could come as early as this fall.
A vaccine has not been officially approved by the FDA yet, but it is believed that will happen soon, Dr. Audrey Stevenson, Family Health Division Director for the Salt Lake County Health Department, said.
“We continue to hear different reports about where that phase three study is in terms of when that vaccine is going to be released,” the vaccine expert said.
Dr. Stevenson has been working with and studying vaccines for more than twenty years and while there are many unknowns, one thing is for sure: the vaccine will be safe, she said.
“That’s the purpose of these studies to determine how effective is the vaccine going to be, how safe is it going to be, and which populations are going to benefit the most,” she said.
This is not political, but rather a matter of public health, Dr. Stevenson said.
“We are not going to be providing a vaccine to the public until it has been properly vetted. That we know it’s going to be safe, that we know it is going to be effective,” she said.
