Fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic has been frustrating for most Utahns and heartbreaking for some. Now, over a year after the first Americans tested positive, COVID vaccines have become available to help put an end to this deadly pandemic.

Many residents of Sanpete County eagerly awaited their turn to get vaccinated as short supplies of vaccines limited availability to essential health care workers, first responders, and finally to seniors 70 and over.

As availability of vaccines increased in late February, Gov. Spencer Cox pushed up the timeline to make the vaccine available for seniors 65 and over, giving them an opportunity to get vaccinated more than a week earlier than expected. Now, it has just been announced that citizens 50 years and older will be eligible to register for a COVID vaccine starting March 8.

Vaccination sites in Sanpete County have expanded to meet the growing demand, which is good news. For the most part registration for a vaccine is done online regardless of the provider and location.

Once registered, citizens can expect a phone call from the vaccine provider to set up an appointment. For those who have registered and are awaiting their appointment, be aware that your phone may not recognize the number of the caller who is reaching out to you to get you scheduled for a shot. Answering “unknown callers” may be necessary for a short time.

In Sanpete County you can register with the Central Utah Health Department at centralutahpublichealth.org, which is administering COVID vaccines in Manti at the Manti Fire Station (52 South 100 East) on Wednesdays and in Mt Pleasant at the Mt Pleasant Fire Department ( 115 West Main Street) on Thursdays. For those who can’t access the Central Utah Health Department online their offices are usually open on Monday and Tuesday for call-in appointments.

The Ephraim Walmart pharmacy is administering vaccines as well. Eligible customers can schedule a vaccine appointment at Walmart through its digital scheduler at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine. You need to register as a Walmart online shopper to get access to this site, which will also get you weekly Walmart specials announcements.

As of Monday, March 8th, Terrell’s Pharmacy at 1050 South State Street in Mt. Pleasant will be opening registration for Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine shots. Doses are limited. You can register at vaccines.terrellsmarket.com. On March 4, Intermountain Healthcare announced availability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as well, although the exact locations are undetermined.

In each of these locations vaccines are limited to qualified individuals. To find out if you qualify check with https://coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution.