TDH Celebrates One Year Anniversary of First COVID-19 Vaccine in The State

NASHVILLE  - The Tennessee Department of Health is recognizing the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine administered in the state. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was given at Vanderbilt Medical Center on December 16, 2020. In following days doses of the first available COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer BioN-Tech and Moderna, arrived and were distributed according to the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

Since the first vaccine was administered in December 2020, 8,334,635 vaccine doses have been given to Tennesseans across the state.

“I cannot thank the entire health care community enough for the effort put into ensuring Tennesseans have access to this vaccine,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “From the first days when vaccine was in high demand with limited supply, to today where it is widely available to everyone, public health and health care frontline workers have been the steady force.”

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is approved for Tennesseans ages 5 and above. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved for individuals ages 18 and above. In addition to the recommendation that everyone ages 5 and above should get the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recently announced individuals aged 16 and above should get a COVID-19 booster dose.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense we have against the continued spread of the virus,” said Piercey. “As we continue to see new variants, we must understand we now live in a world where COVID-19 is present. The vaccine drastically reduces serious outcomes and protects you and those in your closest circles.”

Individuals seeking more information on the COVID-19 vaccines can visit covid19.tn.gov or www.vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment with a local vaccine provider.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.

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