Demand for first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations spiked in August and September during the surge of new infections and hospitalizations caused by the delta variant. But as case rates have fallen in the past two weeks, so too have vaccination rates in Hamilton County and throughout Southeast Tennessee.
At the end of September, the rate of first-dose vaccinations in a 12-county area of the state that includes Hamilton County was less than half of what it was in mid-August, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Health.
Dr. Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, said during a news briefing last week it was understandable vaccination rates would fall as new case counts decreased.
“We had some really good uptake over the first few weeks of the surge. And so we’ll see those people come back for second doses,” Piercey said. “We’ll still see some continued momentum, but we are down from where we were in the last three weeks.”
Vaccination rates fell throughout the summer until the delta variant caused a surge in cases and hospitalizations in August.