NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health is working with the United States Department of Agriculture to help prevent rabies by distributing oral rabies vaccine for wild raccoons along Tennessee’s borders with Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The annual baiting program administered by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, will begin in Tennessee on October 1, 2021.

The Tennessee Department of Health will begin offering booster doses of COVID vaccine to certain populations, beginning Friday, September 24.

The Tennessee Department of Health is acting upon recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding an additional dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health is recognizing National Immunization Awareness Month this August. This comes at a time when Tennessee is seeing an increase in the COVID-19 vaccination as more Tennesseans are choosing to become vaccinated against COVID-19. Total vaccinations increased 47 percent from July 12 to August 2. Over the last week, 94 of the 95 counties across the state have experienced an accelerated rate of vaccine administration. TDH also continues to see an increase in vaccines among all demographics.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health and community partners across the state join together for the third consecutive year to participate in the Red Sand Project during Human Trafficking Awareness Week, recognized July 26-31, 2021.

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Health assures families across Tennessee that information and access to vaccinations for children through state health departments continues and there has been no disruption to these services.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health today announced receipt of a $38.8 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address COVID-19 health disparities. The two-year, non-research grant is funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

NASHVILLE – Today the Tennessee Department of Health launched a new set of resources available for families who have children and youth with special health care needs. The Emergency Alert Decals provide a visual aid to alert emergency personnel of the presence of a child or youth with special health care needs.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health today announced a new ad campaign, “Give It A Shot” focused on addressing vaccine hesitancy among Tennesseans. The ads will air across the state on broadcast, cable, and digital media. Some digital placement for this campaign began on May 1 and this is the next phase in the campaign rollout.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health today announced it will begin administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12-15 years. This is following the decision by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to recommend to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the Pfizer vaccine be made available to administer to children ages 12-15 years. The vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. Prior to this decision, the Pfizer vaccine was only approved for individuals age 16 and above.

NASHVILLE - National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 24 – May 1, 2021. Each year, NIIW highlights the positive impact of vaccination on the lives of infants and children — and this year, it is vital that families stay on track for routine checkups and vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASHVILLE – After an extensive analysis of the risks and benefits of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted today to recommend to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that jurisdictions may resume their administration of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine without restrictions.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health daily data report on COVID-19 cases and tests for April 19, 2021 reflects a data backlog from one statewide provider.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Health announced today the release of the WICShopper application for smartphones. As a part of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the new WICShopper app is another tool to help participants establish and re-enforce healthy eating habits.