All Hamilton County residents age 16 and up are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations effective immediately, meaning all adults in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia are now cleared to get vaccinated.
Hamilton County joins the surrounding region in expanding eligibility to everyone this week after the Hamilton County Health Department made the announcement via news release on Friday.
Though everyone age 16 and up is now eligible, both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only authorized for use in people age 18 and up, meaning 16- and 17-year-olds seeking vaccination will need to opt for the Pfizer shot for the time being.
Expanded eligibility applies to all providers in the county offering vaccines, not just the health department sites.
“The expansion of eligibility is an exciting step in immunization efforts across the state,” Hamilton County Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said in the release. “With the increase in vaccination supply, we are able to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all residents 16 and up in Hamilton County, depending on the vaccine manufacturer. We hope to see more residents take advantage of this hopeful opportunity.”