Health commissioner expects state to receive COVID-19 vaccine in December
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NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said the state is expecting to receive the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December.
Piercey made the announcement during Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s weekly COVID-19 press conference.
The commissioner said the first people to get the vaccine include front-line healthcare workers and first responders.
Piercey said they expect to get the Pfizer vaccine first followed by the Moderna vaccine a week later.
Piercey said she expects widespread availability of the vaccine in late spring/early summer. She said the state will be receiving around 80,000 doses of the vaccine at first.
News 4 spoke to healthcare workers who could first receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it likely comes to Tennessee next month.
Vanderbilt Infectious Disease Doctor David Aronoff said they’re trying to figure out how to distribute it right now. It will likely start with those working directly with COVID patients and healthcare workers with an increased risk of severe illness if they get infected.
Aronoff also said there’s a discussion about making it something healthcare workers can choose to do and not mandate it.
“It will be very important to figure out how to distribute the vaccine to the appropriate people at risk and do so equitably,” Aronoff said. “Certainly when it is my turn to get immunized I’ll be in line very excited to get the vaccine, rolling my sleeves up and ready to go.”
Aronoff said the pandemic is out of control, so it’s incredible to see vaccines coming available.
Tennessee is scheduled to get Pfizer’s vaccine first, then Moderna, and it should be about 80-thousand doses.
The widespread availability of the vaccine likely won’t come until late spring and early summer.
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