Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/20/2021 --Health officials are urging anyone who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine to do so once they are eligible. Doctors say the vaccine is especially important for those with specific diseases that require immunosuppressive drugs.

More than 109,000 Intermountain Healthcare patients fall into this category.

These types of medical conditions include:
- Transplant recipients
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Crohn's Disease
- Lupus
- Psoriasis

Erica Mulcaire-Jones, MD, a rheumatologist at Intermountain Healthcare, says a key symptom of these conditions includes the immune system attacking the body. That's why patients take immunosuppressive drugs, but it also makes them susceptible to complications from infections, such as COVID-19.

If you take immunosuppressive medications or have an immuno-compromised condition, please check current the Utah Department of Health's COVID vaccine guidelines to see if you qualify to get vaccinated. Doctors say the protection it provides is vital for patients to avoid severe complications, and possible death.

About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.