The Salt Lake County Health Department has informed Granite School District that a limited number of COVID-19 vaccines will be made available beginning mid-January.
Canyons, Jordan, Murray, Salt Lake City, and Granite School Districts have collaborated on a unified plan for vaccine distribution based on guidance from the health department. The recommendation is to distribute the vaccines based on age, with older employees receiving the vaccine first. Each week, the districts will extend invitations to eligible employees in descending age order (oldest to youngest) depending on the number of doses allotted by Salt Lake County Health Department. This process and plan will ensure vaccine doses are equitably distributed to districts as they become available.
As we move through age groups, eligible employees will be notified on how to sign up and where and when clinics will be held. As soon as you are eligible, you will receive a direct email invitation to participate.
- Question: What if I’m a younger employee with underlying health conditions or other high risk factors? Can I get the vaccine sooner than my age group?
Answer: The Health Department (and CDC) guidance to all districts was to utilize age in descending order as the priority. The district does not have access to any employee’s health information to be able to make further eligibility determinations. We have no legal ability to quickly obtain health records and prioritize high risk employees, nor do we have the health expertise to make those decisions. Evaluating and prioritizing health conditions of the thousands of Granite employees would be an invasion of employee privacy and would take much longer than to simply work through age groups.
Community Nursing Services (CNS) will provide staffing to inoculate our employees at a designated location for each school district. CNS will determine the day and time for each district based on their staff numbers and resources.
If you qualify to receive the vaccine but are unable to participate, you will be able to sign up for a subsequent date. Vaccinations will be provided on an ongoing basis until all of our employees have had the opportunity to receive both doses. It is anticipated that it will take several weeks to complete inoculation of all employees who wish to receive the vaccine.
We have confirmed with health officials that employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 are still welcome to receive the vaccine as long as they are no longer in quarantine or isolation. In order to participate in the vaccination clinic, employees will be required to provide proof of identity and employment with the district.
If you have any questions, please email us at customerservice@graniteschools.org. We appreciate the collaboration and support between the Salt Lake County Health Department and our partnering districts to provide access to this vaccine as quickly as possible.
Thanks for your patience and support.