TENNESSEE (WATE) — Tennessee will begin vaccinating adults age 70 and older for COVID-19 this week as the state’s vaccine supply has increased, and registration for those who qualify begins Feb. 2.
The Tennessee Department of Health estimates that there are around 300,000 Tennesseans in the 70-74-year-old age group that will be eligible to receive the vaccine as more supplies make their way to health departments across the state.
The state expects around 93,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, which is a 15% increase in the state’s previous weekly allocations.
Those aged 70 to 74 have a 70% higher death rate and 40% higher hospitalization rate from the virus compared to those 65-69. This, cited by the Tennessee Department of Health as to why they’ve prioritized those in this age group due to their risk of illness and death.
“Tennessee will continue to move through phases of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan as vaccine supplies increase. TDH expects the state may be able to expand vaccination to Phase 1b groups and those aged 65 and older as soon as March if vaccine supplies continues to increase, as expected.
It is important to note Tennessee counties may progress through vaccination phases at different times, depending on supply of the COVID-19 vaccines and demand for them. To learn what phase your county is in, visit https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/.”
TN Dept. of Health
