Tennessee to Begin COVID-19 Vaccination of Adults Age 65 and Older, Teachers – tn.gov

NASHVILLE Tennessee will begin registering Tennesseans aged 65 and older and those in Phase 1b of the states COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 vaccinations on Feb. 22. Phase 1b includes staff members of kindergarten through 12th grade schools and child care facilities.

Tennessee has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far, andweve made substantial progress in protecting our senior citizens who are over age 70 throughvaccination, said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. While weremain focused on our seniors, who are the highest-risk population, were able to expandvaccine eligibility to these additional groups as our supply continues to grow each week.

Online Scheduling for COVID-19 VaccinationTDH has launched a new online scheduling tool that allows users to book their appointment forCOVID-19 vaccination at participating health department sites when they are eligible to do so.Tennesseans can access the system at covid19.tn.gov and select their county to schedule anappointment. Users will enter their demographic information and will then be able to choose adate and time for their vaccination appointment. Tennesseans who have already registered fora COVID-19 vaccination do not need to re-enter their information in the new system.

Updates to Tennessees COVID-19 Vaccination PlanTDH has updated the states COVID-19 Vaccination Plan by adding pregnant women to Phase1c. Although pregnant women were not included in the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, they areat increased risk for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Pregnant women may chooseto receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1c, along with others with high-risk healthconditions. Pregnant women are encouraged to talk with their health care providers to helpthem make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination. The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention has guidance for pregnant women to help reduce their risk of COVID-19 atwww.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html.

Phase 1b of the states COVID-19 vaccination plan includes operations personnel of firstresponder agencies along with teachers and staff members of schools and child care facilities.

Tennessees COVID-19 Vaccination Plan prioritizes those most at risk of illness and death fromCOVID-19. Tennessee will continue to move through phases of the states COVID-19 vaccinationplan as vaccine supplies increase.

Tennesseans can find information on the phases eligible for vaccination in their county and, when eligible, register for vaccination through their county health department at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/county-vaccine-information/. Due to their independent operations and larger populations, Tennessees metropolitan counties may have different instructions, so residents in these areas should check with local authorities about their plans.

TDH reminds all Tennesseans that in addition to vaccination, wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance and getting tested when exposed or sick are critical to controlling the pandemic.

Tennessees COVID-19 Vaccination Plan is available online at http://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/COVID-19_Vaccination_Plan.pdf. Find answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination at https://covid19.tn.gov/data/faqs/.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at http://www.tn.gov/health.

Connect with TDH on Facebook, TwitterandLinkedIn @TNDeptofHealth!

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Tennessee to Begin COVID-19 Vaccination of Adults Age 65 and Older, Teachers - tn.gov