Utah aims to be prepared for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gov. Gary Herbert says Utah will aim to be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available, a week after the federal government told states to be ready for distribution by Nov. 1.

At a weekly briefing Thursday, Herbert did not clarify whether Utah will expedite the licensing and permitting processes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had requested.

The ramped up distribution timeline has raised concerns among public health experts that the vaccine’s approval may be driven by political considerations ahead of a presidential election, rather than science.