There are 194 article(s) tagged Tennessee Department of Health:
A Tennessee Department of Health report on Shelby County vaccine distribution problems recommends more training and establishing a clear chain of command but concluded no one needs to get revaccinated.
Most resistance to getting vaccinated is among rural, white people who identify as conservative, the survey found.
One new coronavirus-related death was reported Wednesday.
The state Department of Health announced its decision to move into phase 1c Tuesday afternoon, and the Shelby County Health Department expanded eligibility to the same group Wednesday morning.
According to the latest Tennessee Department of Health data, just over 10% of the Shelby County population has received at least one coronavirus shot. That compares to more than 12% of the state population.
Going forward, vaccinating the citizens of Shelby County against COVID-19 is under the authority of the City of Memphis after the state transferred custody of the vaccine and administration of the process away from county leaders. It took a dizzying array of missteps for this to occur, and Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright says: “The public deserves to know what happened.” Related story:
County vaccination timeline
From Feb. 1 through last Friday, Feb. 26, the missteps that led to Dr. Alisa Haushalter’s downfall as director of the Shelby County Health Department unfolded day by day.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the city is confident —along with its other partners like local hospitals — it can currently deliver 40,000 inoculations, both first and second doses, each week. That’s more than double the current average of 10,000 to 15,000 doses administered.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services visitation guidance provides reasonable ways to safely facilitate in-person visits.
Those eligible for phase 1b will be able to make appointments starting Wednesday, Feb. 24. That includes teachers, residents above age 65 and childcare workers.
State Health Department says next week’s supply of vaccine may be delayed due to the winter storms.
Since March, the Health Department has reported 84,123 total coronavirus cases and 1,348 deaths, classifying 79,397 cases as inactive/recovered.
J&J said its vaccine works consistently in a broad range of people: A third of participants were over age 60, and more than 40% had other illnesses putting them at risk of severe COVID-19, including obesity, diabetes and HIV.
The total number of cases since early March now totals 77,566.
The 491 cases come from 4,472 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 11%.
Shelby County Health Department reported 639 new cases from more than 4,300 tests. Eight deaths were reported, bringing the total to 1,024.
As of Wednesday, 40% of Tennessee’s 95 counties had moved into the priority group that includes teachers. Those areas have smaller populations and fewer health care workers to inoculate after years of rural hospital closures.
More than 1,000 Shelby Countians are now reported to have died from the novel coronavirus.
The Shelby County Health Department reported 31 more coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday, Jan. 7.
The Shelby County Health Department is vaccinating residents and staff of assisted living and other congregate facilities this week. No drive-thru vaccination sites are operating.
COVID-19 is now the third-leading cause of death in Shelby County and has killed five times more people than the 173 who succumbed to complications from influenza in 2019.
The county is in phase 1a1 of the state’s vaccination plan but the Health Department has been offering vaccinations to funeral/mortuary workers and those 75 and older when vaccines have been available.
That compares to 104 deaths reported in October and 88 deaths reported in November.
According to the Tennessee Healthcare Resource Tracking System, 93% of area ICU and area acute care beds were in use.
The 305 new cases come from almost 2,000 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 15.6%.