SALT LAKE CITY — When Gov. Spencer Cox announced he had COVID-19 earlier this week, the Utah Department of Health pointed out that he was vaccinated and boosted, and they urged more Utahns to get booster shots.
The CDC says boosters are effective — reducing the risk of hospitalization from Omicron by 86 percent compared with a 65 percent reduction from a two-dose vaccination.
But most Utahns and other Americans are not getting a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
Out of 100 Utahns, 70 have gotten one vaccine dose, 62 are fully vaccinated, and 29 percent are boosted.
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Out of 100 Americans, 78 have gotten one vaccine dose, 66 are fully vaccinated, and 31 are boosted.
In Utah, booster shot percentages vary by geography, most dramatically seen in two neighboring health districts. In Summit County, 45 percent of residents are boosted. In the tri-counties of Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah to the east, 14 percent of residents are boosted.