SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than 250 people received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru clinic on Thursday that was hosted by the Utah County Health Department.

"We have seen the demand for the vaccine go up just a little bit and it's anything from school starts in about three weeks to, 'You know what? I was hesitant for a while and I think I'm finally ready,'" said health department spokesperson Danielle Chapman. "And both are great reasons to get the vaccine right now."

The clinic took place in a shopping center parking lot at the corner of Redwood Road and Crossroads Boulevard in Saratoga Springs. The 267 vaccine recipients were allowed to stay in their cars during the entire process.

"If you do want to talk to someone medically beforehand, we have nurses on hand and they will speak to you and you can bring your questions to them and ask," Chapman said.

Once they received their shot, vaccine recipients simply pulled their car into a parking stall where they were visited by health workers during the 15 to 30 minute observation period.

Chapman said the turnout made it one of the department's most successful drive-thru vaccine events.

"Getting the vaccine is the best protection we have against COVID — against the delta variant," Chapman said.

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Kathyrine Cruz is going into the 10th grade and came with her mom to the clinic where they both got the shot.

Cruz said she wanted to get the vaccine after seeing members of her family get sick with bad cases of COVID-19.

"My mom was the one that was all like she doesn't want to get it and I was like, 'No, I think we should,'" she said.

Cruz said her little sisters are too young for the vaccine and she wanted to protect them by getting it herself. She also had a message for other teenagers about getting the vaccine.

"I would say do it," Cruz said. "It's not that hard."

Sean and Jenny Bell showed up at the clinic in their convertible and said the process was very convenient.

"I feel great," Sean Bell said. "The shot was painless."

The couple said the surge of the delta variant motivated them to get vaccinated.

"We keep up on the news so we knew that it was spreading very quickly and we've had it once and we didn't want to get it again," Sean Bell said.

"We were hesitant about it but as soon as we started hearing what was going on we had to come out and get it," Jenny Bell said. "We felt very strongly that we needed to come and get it."

The Utah County Health Department is planning two additional drive-thru vaccine clinics in the coming weeks. Next Thursday one will be held at the Equestrian Park in Highland and the week following at a yet-to-be-determined location in the Spanish Fork area.

Visit the health department's website for more information.

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