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Tennessee Opens COVID-19 Vaccines to All Adults

(Credit: Dreamstime)

All Tennessee adults will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine no later than April 5th, state officials announced Monday. 

Late last week, local leaders asked state officials to open COVID-19 vaccines in Shelby County to all adults. State officials released a statement allowing counties to move through vaccine phases as they choose. However, it was not immediately clear when or if Shelby County could begin offering shots to all adults.

As of Monday morning, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was still saying on Facebook that “we are in Phase 2a/2b, and this includes citizens 55 and older, those with co-morbidities, and those in critical infrastructure industries.”

The decision from state officials was based on two things, according to Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey: low uptake and growing supply. 

Piercey said uptake of the vaccine has been uneven across the state. Shot appointments were less than 20 percent filled in rural West Tennessee. But slots were more than 80 percent filled in the upper Cumberland region of Middle Tennessee, she said. For this, she said anyone who cannot find an appointment in their home county can travel to another county for a vaccine.     

Piercey announced a growing supply of vaccine doses headed for Tennessee. This week, she said, the state received about 311,000 doses. Next week, thanks to a resuming supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the state is expected to get about 350,000 doses, a 30 percent bump from week to week.  

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Health Department: Police Said Not Enough Evidence to Report Vaccine Theft

CREDIT: Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime

Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) said a law enforcement official said there was insufficient information to report theft in the incident allegedly involving stolen COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month.

Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) officials said Friday morning that a volunteer at the Pipkin Building vaccine site stole syringes filled with the COVID-19 drug. That announcement comes in the wake of broader accusations by the state that the health department is mishandling the vaccine rollout.

The SCHD released this statement about the theft Friday afternoon:    

“Our understanding is that in the beginning of February, a site supervisor received information that a volunteer might have engaged in suspicious behavior. Although there were no witnesses to a theft, other staff were suspicious of the volunteer, who is a medical professional.

“The Shelby County Health Department removed the volunteer from the premises and the site supervisor contacted law enforcement regarding the incident. Law enforcement concluded that there was insufficient information to file a report of any theft or unlawful conduct.”

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New Vaccination Site to Open in Raleigh

CREDIT: Greater Imani Cathedral of Faith/Facebook

Greater Imani Cathedral of Faith/Facebook

A new COVID-19 vaccination center will open next week in the Raleigh/Frayser area.

The site will be in the Greater Imani Cathedral of Faith at 3824 Austin Peay Highway. It will be run by Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), the City of Memphis, and Christ Community Health Services.

A Tuesday news release said the new site is meant to “bring COVID-19 vaccinations to underserved and predominantly African American communities in North Memphis.”

“Communities of color have been hit hard during the pandemic and for generations before. Health equity must be a top priority. We believe our vaccine dispensing sites demonstrate that,” said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. “We’ve opened sites in Whitehaven, South Memphis, and now, Raleigh.”

Making vaccinations available in all parts of Shelby County has always been a goal of the health department, said health department director Alisa Haushalter.

“The partnership with Greater Imani Church will not only help us reach a geographic area where vaccinations were not previously accessible, it also achieves another important goal by making vaccination more available in underserved Black and brown communities,” she said.

Links to sign up for appointments at the Greater Imani vaccination site will be posted next week on the health department’s COVID-19 landing page. Those without internet access or who need assistance may call (901) 222-7468 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for assistance in signing up for an appointment.

Groups now eligible to be vaccinated include first responders, health care workers, funeral/mortuary workers, and anyone age 70 or older.

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Health Department Lowers Vaccine Age Requirement

CREDIT: Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime

Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime

COVID-19 vaccines are now available for everyone 70 years old and older, the Shelby County Health Department announced Thursday.

The announcement lowers the age necessary to get a vaccine from 75. All other previously announced priority groups — healthcare workers, first responders, and more — are still eligible for the vaccine.

Appointments for first doses are now available at the Pipkin Building, 940 Early Maxwell, and may be scheduled here or by calling (901) 222-7468.

Other providers are also vaccinating those in the priority groups, including:

• Cherokee Health Systems – Limited first-dose appointments Thursday and Friday, February 4th and 5th. To schedule an appointment, call (901) 302-4361.

• Veteran’s Administration – Now vaccinating all veterans age 65 and older at the VA Medical Center at 1030 Jefferson Avenue. Veterans must be enrolled with the VA at www.va.gov to receive vaccination.

• Walmart – Click here to schedule an appointment.

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COVID-19 Vaccines to be Dispensed at Memphis Area Walmart Stores

CREDIT: Walmart

Walmart

Memphis-area Walmart stores will soon provide COVID-19 vaccines.

Walmart will soon administer COVID-19 vaccines in the Memphis area.

The retailer was chosen here and could begin giving the shots her next week, according to a story in The Daily Memphian. That story says, however, that the date for the Walmart rollout has not yet been confirmed.

But here are the eleven Memphis-area locations approved to give the shots:

Walmart has been gearing up to provide the shot over the past year, the retailer says on its website. At full capacity, Walmart and Sam’s Club stores could deliver 10 million-13 million doses every month.  

“As we look to a future when supply can meet demand and more people are eligible to receive the vaccine, we plan to offer the vaccine seven days a week at our pharmacies, through planned in-store vaccination clinics and through large community events,” reads a news release on the store’s website.

The retailer has been training “thousands” of pharmacists and pharmacy techs, building a new digital scheduling tool, and partnering with state and federal agencies on allocations.

“At full capacity, we expect we will be able to deliver 10 million-13 million doses per month when supply and allocations allow,” reads the site.

Here is a list of all Tennessee pharmacies approved so far to give the COVID-19 vaccine:
[pdf-1]

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New System Brings Equity for Unused COVID-19 Doses

CREDIT: Daniel Schludi | Unsplash

Daniel Schludi | Unsplash

Unused doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will soon no longer go only to those well-connected in Shelby County.

Vaccine doses go unused when patients don’t show for their appointments. No-shows can happen, for example, in inclement weather, according to Shelby County Health Department officials. Now, those unused doses go to those who are connected in the healthcare system, for example, or in government and political systems.

“Right now, people just have to hope that they’re in the know, or they know someone who will contact them and let them know that there are additional vaccines that are available at the end of the day,” said Danielle Inez, chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. “Now we’re trying to make that process more equitable, and so anybody that wants to be in the know is allowed to sign up to receive that information.”
Shelby County government

To get there, county and health department leaders unveiled a new system Monday, January 25th, called Vax Queue, that will allow a county-wide waiting list for those standby doses. The system will allow any county resident to sign up.

On the site, they give their name, contact information, and prioritizing information about their age, where they work, and more. Then, if an unused dose becomes available, the person gets a text or email telling them where to show up. But the unused shots are first-come, first-served and the alert does not guarantee the person will get the vaccine.

Shelby County government workers are testing a Vax Queue pilot currently. The system is expected to roll out county-wide later this week.

“We knew on Friday, going into Saturday, that we had over 1,000 doses left,” said health department director Alisa Haushalter. “We wanted to get those 1,000 doses out. We also knew that we had sufficient staffing, and that we had some no-shows. So, the message was sent out knowing that we could probably accommodate several hundred additional people.” Shelby County government

Shelby County leaders during Monday’s preview of Vax Queue.

But how many get the message depends on staffing, how many car lanes are open at a vaccination site, how much vaccine is available, and how many people can go through the system, Haushalter said. But with the math aside and the number of people to get the message determined, identifying those who would get the unused doses was less scientific.

The health department has used the system “we already have,” Haushalter said. That is the ability to “text to those who we either know or have connections to. That might be organizational leaders and so on.”

“But in doing that, it always creates an inequity because everyone may not have received the information in a timely manner,” Haushalter said.

Moving to the new Vax Queue system will allow more equity as every county resident can sign up. Haushalter said it will also be a more science-informed approach. The system will prioritize the resident with their age and other information to sort them into their vaccination phase. So, only those in the current vaccine phase will be called for these standby doses. Also, anyone without internet service can register on Vax Queue by calling (901) 222-SHOT.

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Health Department Begins Second-Dose Vaccines

CREDIT: Daniel Schludi | Unsplash

Daniel Schludi | Unsplash

Second doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine will begin going to Shelby County patients Wednesday.

The shots will go to those vaccinated between December 28th – January 3rd at three locations, beginning January 27, 2021.

Those who received the Moderna vaccine at 1826 Sycamore View Rd. or 2400 Union Ave. (Lindenwood Church) are eligible to get their second dose by appointment at one of three locations. Patients are asked to bring their vaccination card to their appointment.

Appling Emissions Station

• January 27th-29th, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• January 30th: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

2355 Appling City Cove

Memphis, TN 38133

Click here to schedule an appointment at Appling Emissions Station.

Pipkin Building

• February 2nd–6th: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

940 Early Maxwell Blvd.

Memphis, TN 38104

Click here to schedule an appointment at the Pipkin Building.

Germantown Baptist Church

• February 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• February 3rd: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm.

9450 Poplar Ave.

Germantown, TN 38139

Click here to schedule an appointment at Germantown Baptist Church:

Vaccines will be provided only to those who received first doses during the December 28th – January 3rd timeframe.

The health department said not to schedule an appointment if you have not already received a first dose of vaccine. First-dose appointments for those currently eligible to be vaccinated will be offered in February with separate signup links.

Those without internet access or who otherwise need assistance may call the COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline (901) 222-SHOT [7468] for help in setting an appointment. That line is staffed 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week.

Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccination plan follows the Tennessee Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Currently, the Health Department is vaccinating first responders and health care workers listed in Phases 1a1 and 1a2, funeral/mortuary workers, persons age 65+ with high-risk medical conditions, and all persons age 75+.

The health department will add other vaccination sites throughout the county as the vaccine campaign moves forward. For more information, check the health department’s website.

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Shelby County Set to Get 8,900 Weekly Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

CREDIT: Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department nurse Janice Stahl, RN, was first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Nurse Stahl provides COVID-19 testing at the Collierville clinic and Shelby Farms clinic.

Shelby County is now set to receive a weekly allotment of 8,900 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) announced the shipments Friday, January 8th, after confirming the information with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). The commitment will bring 8,900 doses here each week though the end of January.

The health department expects the doses to be divided between the department and the area hospital systems. In the first week, the SCHD is expected to administer up to 4,000 doses, and the rest will be given by hospitals. The weekly ratio may change.

With its weekly allotment, the SCHD will begin offering vaccinations on an appointment-only basis. These will be given at the Pipkin Building at the MidSouth Fairgrounds every Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Appointments can be made online here. Those without internet access can call (901) 222-SHOT(7468) for assistance in scheduling an appointment beginning 8 a.m., Monday, January 11, 2021.

The Health Department will add other vaccination sites throughout the county as the vaccine campaign moves forward.

During January, the vaccine won’t be available to the general public. They will only be given to those in the first (1a1) priority group.

Those include:

· First responders with direct public exposure including EMS, law enforcement, and fire fighters

· Staff working at COVID-19 mass testing sites

· Staff and residents of long-term care facilities, residential homes for the aged, and staff and residents of assisted living centers who have direct contact with residents or contact with potentially infectious materials

· Staff of other congregate care facilities such as homes for the intellectually or developmentally disabled, detention centers, Staff of Department of Children’s Services residential facilities, rehabilitation hospitals and psychiatric hospitals who have direct patient contact or contact with potentially infectious materials

· Home healthcare staff with direct patient contact

· Staff and residents of long-term care facilities, residential homes for the aged, and staff and residents of assisted living centers who have direct contact with residents or contact with potentially infectious materials

· Individuals 18 years or older who cannot live independently due to serious chronic medical condition or intellectual or developmental disability

· Providers of K-12 or university student health services who have direct patient contact or contact with potentially infectious materials

· Funeral/mortuary service providers

· Health care workers, including:

· Primary care providers and staff

· Outpatient specialty providers and staff working with acute patients

· Pharmacists and staff

· Patient transport

· Outpatient therapists

· Urgent visit center providers and staff

· Environmental services

· Oral health providers

· Behavioral health providers

· Outpatient laboratory staff working with COVID-19 specimens

· Individuals age 75 and over

All those presenting for vaccination should be prepared to bring identification and proof of eligibility, including proof of age, a professional license, or a letter from an employer.

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Shelby County Running Out of COVID-19 Vaccines

CREDIT: Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department nurse Janice Stahl, RN was first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Nurse Stahl provides COVID-19 testing at the Collierville clinic and Shelby Farms clinic.

Shelby County is running out of COVID-19 vaccine doses and leaders here aren’t sure when they’ll get more.

Shelby County Health Department director Alisa Haushalter said Tuesday her department had received 12,000 doses from the state. The original amount of Shelby County doses was smaller. But two other areas of the state were not yet ready to receive their shipments and, when asked by state officials, Shelby County accepted them, bringing the total here to 12,000.   City of Memphis/Facebook

Dr. Alisa Haushalter, director of the Shelby County Health Department

In the first seven days, health care workers here administered doses to 9,500 people. The rest were to be given in the next week. It seems they have been, according to a statement from Haushalter Wednesday afternoon, and the county is running out.  

“We are currently administering the last doses in our first allocation of vaccine from the state,” Haushalter said in a statement. “We have made multiple requests for more vaccine. However, at this time, we have not received word from the state regarding when we will receive additional vaccine and how much we will receive.

“We are hopeful that this will change and that more information will be provided. When we receive additional information, we will provide updates. When we receive additional vaccine, we will distribute the vaccine following the phased criteria established by the state.

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New Tool Tells You When You Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

CREDIT: Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department/Facebook

Shelby County Health Department nurse Janice Stahl, RN was first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Nurse Stahl provides COVID-19 testing at the Collierville clinic and Shelby Farms clinic.

State officials launched a new tool Tuesday to help residents gauge when they might be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Tennessee Department of Health

The tool follows vaccine distribution phasing set out in the state’s vaccine plan. The plan gives priority to healthcare workers and the elderly.

The new digital tool asks a series of questions (similar to any online questionnaire or poll) to place residents in their phase and give them an idea of when they can get the virus vaccination.

Questions include:

“Are you a first responder?”

“Do you work in a hospital or healthcare facility?”

“Do you have exposure to potentially infectious patients or materials?”

“Do you work at a mass testing site?”

Past early questions that, generally, weed out healthcare workers from the rest, the tool asks about age and underlying health conditions (like cancer, chronic kidney disease, or obesity). Going down along the state’s priority phases, the tool asks if the responder works in public transportation, a post office, a grocery store, or correctional facility.

If respondents answer no to all of those questions, the tool tells them that they will be vaccinated according to their age.  Tennessee Department of Health

They can, then, subscribe to get a text alert form the state when they are ready to get the shot. Respondents can also follow a link that will show them, based on information and drug doses available now, a timeline of when they might expect to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  

Tennessee Department of Health

“In addition to creating a strong infrastructure for distribution, we’re currently one of the top states in the nation for total doses administered, vaccinating more than 150,000 Tennesseans in just two weeks,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “This tool is yet another step we’re taking to provide Tennesseans with critical information as our vaccine supply increases and more phases become eligible.”