Gov. Lee Joins Vice President Pence in Memphis for COVID-19 Vaccine Roundtable

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will join Vice President Mike Pence in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday, December 3^rd in a roundtable highlighting Operation Warp Speed and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine distribution program, and Tennessee’s plan to operationalize vaccinations once approved. The governor and members of the Unified Command Group will hold a brief media availability at the conclusion of the event.

Tennessee’s Vaccine Plan

The Tennessee Department of Health has developed a preliminary structure for the allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The plan is attached and can be found online here. The plan is subject to change given private sector dynamics and decision-making at the federal level.

TDH modeled this approach to allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines after review of the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdictional Operations and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine, and in consultation with Tennessee’s Unified Command Group and a stakeholder group of more than 28 partner agencies and offices.

TDH will ensure implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program through tracking of provider enrollment, mapping of locations of vaccination services, monitoring performance of the Tennessee Immunization Information System and tracking of vaccine ordering and distribution.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the vaccine be available in Tennessee?

We anticipate Tennessee may receive its first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December followed shortly by the initial allocation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

How many doses will Tennessee receive?

We expect to receive 56,550 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in our first allocation.

Who will be eligible to receive the vaccine?

The first allocation of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to frontline hospital health care workers. Further information on prioritization for vaccination can be found in the state’s plan attached and online here.

Where will the vaccine be made available?

The Pfizer vaccine will be shipped directly by Pfizer to hospitals approved as providers of this vaccine. The list will be provided in the coming weeks.

Where will updates on vaccine distribution be provided?

Tennessee providers of COVID-19 vaccine will report administered doses to the Department of Health via the Tennessee Immunization Information System. TDH will share data regularly on vaccine administration online at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html.