SALT LAKE CITY – Although all adults are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine within a few weeks, experts say there is a reason for those with underlying health conditions. One kidney transplant in Utah tells why he is so grateful he was able to get the chance.
Greg Boss of Holladay is considered a high risk. He has been married to his lover for 25 years. Just after returning from their honeymoon, Boss began to feel sick.
He says his life changed in 2001 when he underwent a kidney transplant at just 34 years old.
“I can remember the day. It was snowing, ‘he said. “My wife’s brother donated one of his kidneys to me and we’ll celebrate it 20 years next year.”
Kidney disease occurs in his family. “We are still fighting the battle and trying to make it last as long as possible,” Boss said.
Boss is a father of three children and enjoyed good health to a great extent until December 2019 when he ended up in hospital again six weeks after undergoing heart surgery. “I had a quadruple bypass and the valve was repaired,” he said.
He feels grateful just to live. “(I) came out of the hospital and went into that kind of pandemic,” he said.
The entire Boss family took great precautions to protect him from COVID-19.
“They don’t want to be the ones bringing anything to Dad, so they had to sacrifice quite a bit to keep me safe,” Boss said. “It was a challenge and we had to come together as a family and as a community to really help each other.”
Boss says he was so excited to get the vaccine, and compliant with his underlying medical conditions. He said it was a surreal moment. “Now all of a sudden we have a vaccine a year later and I have so much more of a chance to fight it,” he said.
Dr Tamara Sheffield, medical director of community health and prevention at Intermountain Healthcare, said the state preferred people like Boss for a reason. “But there are other health conditions that put individuals at high risk for death, and so we went through those with the greatest risk and then progressed further to others,” she explained.
Sheffield says the state follows research and recommendations by the CDC. “As we feed more, the easier it is to adapt to the recommendations,” she said, which now includes those with diabetes, kidney disease and a BMI of 30 or higher.
As the vaccine soon becomes more widely available, she is appealing to all Utahns to get the chance.
“We need these vaccines to protect ourselves, but if you protect yourself, you also protect other people,” Sheffield said. “I will tell you that even people who are healthy and strong have had serious complications. So it is important for you personally, but it is also for the individual in your area, or your friend or mother of your friend who may be in danger is. “
Sheffield says the COVID-19 vaccine is a sign of hope for change in the community. She adds that peace of mind is the greatest gift of vaccination. “You do not have to worry so much about provoking yourself or spreading disease to those you love,” she said.
Boss feels blessed to be healthy for his wife and three children. “I can’t live life in fear, can I? I just have to do the best I can every day and try to make a difference in someone else’s life,” he said. “There’s a reason I’m here and doing everything in my power to make the best of it,” he said.
While research is still ongoing, Sheffield said experts expect about 70% to 90% of Utahns to be vaccinated to delay the transmission of COVID-19.
Sheffield encourages those who have struggled to get vaccinated to be patient. “Do not worry, we are going to get a lot more vaccinations week after week, and you will be able to access easily within a fairly short period of time. Just be patient and persistent,” she said.
Intermountain Healthcare is a leading partner with the state in the distribution of vaccines. To sign up for an appointment, Utahns can also visit coronavirus.utah.gov.