NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A group of Tennessee Senate Republicans are urging the public to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a move that comes as case numbers are beginning to once again climb throughout the state.
"Unfortunately, efforts to get more people vaccinated have been hampered by politicization of COVID-19," the group of 17 lawmakers wrote in a letter Tuesday. "This should not be political."
Tennessee has faced increased national scrutiny over its low COVID-19 vaccination rates after the Department of Health fired its top vaccination chief and briefly halted outreach for childhood vaccines.
Some GOP leaders have since gone on the defensive, with Gov. Bill Lee urging Tennesseans to get a COVID-19 shot after remaining mum on the subject for several weeks.
On Tuesday, Senate Republican leadership reiterated that getting the vaccine was a "personal choice" but encouraged people to talk to their doctor about the vaccination.