MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed with WREG it expects to start vaccinating nursing home staff and residents across state after it receives the Moderna vaccine, which is anticipated in late December.
State health officials say staff and residents will all be offered vaccines at the same time.
They say the plan is for the vaccine to be transported to facilities and administered on-site.
Most nursing homes have opted into a federal, pharmacy partnership called the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program for COVID-19 Vaccination.
This allows for companies like CVS and Walgreens to handle distribution and administration of the vaccine at nursing homes.
Multiple visits will be required to give both doses of the vaccine.
DoH officials say facilities that didn’t opt into the program will be paired with a local pharmacy or visited by a public health strike team for administration of the vaccine.
WREG inquired about the vaccine timeline at other types of long-term care facilities. The spokesperson said nursing homes will be the first priority, followed by assisted living homes and other long term care facilities.
There have been nearly 70 outbreaks at long-term care facilities across Shelby County since March, including 25 current clusters. The virus has infected thousands of workers and residents and killed approximately 170 people at local, long-term care facilities.