The Tennessee Department of Health announced the state’s infrastructure plan for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available.

“We assure Tennesseans that safe, effective and approved COVID-19 vaccines will be released in Tennessee when they are available to reduce the spread of the virus,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said. “Our vaccine distribution plan will be modified as more is understood about the virus and the availability of approved vaccines currently in development.”

The structure of the plan includes distribution of the vaccine to all 95 counties, including a targeted distribution to the “highly vulnerable”:

• 5% of Tennessee’s allocation of COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed equitably among all 95 counties.
• 10% of Tennessee’s allocation of COVID-19 vaccines will be reserved by the state for use in targeted areas with high vulnerability to illness and death from the virus.
• 85% of Tennessee’s allocation of COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed among all 95 counties based on their populations.

Piercey stressed to Tennesseans the plans released are drafts and can change at any time.

The draft plan establishes an order for who will receive first access to the vaccines in a phased order.

The state says first doses of the vaccine will go to frontline workers, first responders and health care workers. Next will be K-12 childcare staff and older adults. According to the state, children and young adults will most likely be the last to receive vaccines.

The groups storing and administering the vaccine will be required to sign an agreement with TDH, have the ability to store the vaccine and establish a process for reporting administered doses.

According to the department, they will ensure the vaccine will be distributed to sites in all 95 counties, “especially in rural counties and areas with high concentrations of people in vulnerable populations.”