NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee health officials announced on Monday that the state will soon begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations to residents ages 70 and older.
The state Department of Health said on its website that Tennesseans can begin checking Tuesday with their counties to learn more about information about eligibility and registration. Furthermore, residents in the state’s metropolitan areas may have different instructions.
The health agency estimates that roughly 300,000 Tennesseans fall into the 70- to 74-year-old age group. The state is already vaccinating people 75 and older. It’s expanding the vaccination access due to a recent increase in its weekly COVID-19 vaccination allocation, up from an average of 80,000 doses to about 93,000 a week.
The state says people aged 70 to 74 have a 70% higher rate of death and a 40% higher rate of hospitalization from COVID-19 compared with those aged 65 to 69.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.