-Micca Terrell
Cheatham County Health Department staff received their first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 21 and that same day administered the first ten doses to first responders with the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services, as well as Ashland City, Pegram, Kingston Springs, and Pleasant View Fire Departments.
According to the Tennessee Health Department, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are in limited supplies initially and will also be dispensed to other frontline workers in the beginning phase (Phase 1a1) of the state’s vaccination plan, found here: COVID-19 Vaccination Plan (tn.gov).
Besides first responders, others in the Phase 1a1 group include home health care providers, student health care providers, and group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
According to the state’s vaccination plan, which was made public earlier this month and remains fluid, about 450,000 Tennesseans are in this first group of vaccinations.“We are excited to receive these vaccines and see our COVID-19 vaccination activities underway in our community,” said Cheatham County Health Director Rachel Ellis. “We’ve been preparing for months to distribute approved vaccines and we believe this will be a safe and effective tool in the fight against COVID-19.”
More than 2,700 people statewide have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s dashboard at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/Vaccine.pdf.
The dashboard is updated each Tuesday and Friday.
It is important to note the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. Each person who takes the shot must receive two doses of the same vaccine to be protected against COVID-19. Each person who receives the vaccine will receive a card with the date of their first dose, the name/manufacturer of the vaccine received and the date on which they should receive their second dose.
Free COVID-19 testing is still available at the Cheatham County Health Department five days a week, from 9 – 11 a.m. except on Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Adults with online access may utilize the self-test kits on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Traditional nasal swab tests for children and adults without online access are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information about TDH COVID-19 testing sites, go to: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/health/cedep/ncov/remote-assessment-sites.html.
