NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – As Tennessee slowly begins to loosen restrictions on who may receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Nashville on Friday had the strictest eligibility to receive the dose in the entire state.
Earlier this week, Tennessee’s Department of Health announced people age 70 and older may start receiving the doses. While local counties had the authority to set different instructions, most areas quickly expanded to include the new eligible age group.
However, Davidson County – which encompasses Nashville – has held off. As of Friday, the metro area was officially the only county limiting vaccine distribution to front-line workers and those 75 and older.
“We’ll do all that we can to move as quickly as possible to move through that group,” Dr. Gill Wright, interim chief medical officer of Metro Nashville Public Health, told reporters on Thursday. “We’re feeling more comfortable with the supply of our vaccine and look forward to make school vaccinations in the near future.”
Nashville has distributed 105,000 doses of the vaccine to date, Wright said. Yet the city isn’t planning on lowering the age requirement until it clears the waiting list for 75 and older residents.