The availability of COVID-19 vaccinations in Carroll County has recently been opened to all those age 55 and up, and nearly 11,000 county residents have been vaccinated so far.
According to Emily Rushing, director over the Carroll and Henderson County Health Departments, the general age limitations for vaccination has been expanded down from 65 to 55, and those in the 2A and 2b phase groups are also now eligible.
The 2A phase group includes those working in child and adult protective services with direct public exposure, commercial agriculture, commercial food production, corrections staff not included in phase 1a1, and public transit employees.
The 2b group includes those employed as postal and package delivery drivers, railroad freight, maritime cargo, and commercial or cargo airport services; public infrastructure workers involved with dams, roads, bridges, maintenance, engineering, and solid waste collection and processing; telecommunications workers providing direct services to the public; and utility/energy professionals involved in direct public services.
Appointments to get a vaccine can be scheduled online at COVID19.tn.gov or by calling 1-866-442-5301. And as of March 23, the Carroll Co. Health Department has extending its hours for vaccination services on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The extended hours include 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursdays.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, a total of 10,822 people (about 24 percent of the county population) had received at least one dose of one of the various COVID-19 vaccines as of March 21.
A little over nine percent have had one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and close to 15 percent had either had both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose. Statewide, nearly 2.2 million people
