Pfizer vaccine administered all day Saturday at Health Department

Administering the Phizer COVID-19 vaccines kept Carroll County Health Department nurses busy all day Saturday from 8 a.m. until on into the afternoon. It was mostly given to persons over 75 years if age,

Vehicles were backed up on High Street near Huntingdon Health & Rehab, unable to move from the street. Huntingdon Police officers stood by directing the traffic into the Carroll County Office Complex parking lot where it was wrapped behind  the complex. The line slowly made its way into a turnoff at the Carroll County Office Complex and then wrapped around that building until the line ended near the Health Department where the vaccine was administered. Nurses were working off two lines at a time.

Carroll County Health Dept. director Emily Rushing had no totals on how many received vaccines on from Saturday on Monday because of the work load the office was still experiencing. There were no figures available on how much the Health Department received or when more shipments were expected to be received.

Frances Scates of Bruceton was among those who was waiting in line for her first shot. A second shot is to be administered 20 days after the first one.

She pointed out that she was more than willing to have the vaccine because so many people have died from it.

“I’d rather have the shot than take a chance of having the disease,” she said, noting that a family member was in the hospital and not expected to live.

Raymond Pease of McKenzie had pulled up in his Dodge pickup and rolled up his sleeve for the vaccine.

“Yes mam, I’m here ready for my shot,” he said as the nurse Donna Ferrell administered the vaccine.

Tennessee ranked No. 1 in the country for COVID-19 infections when adjusted for population during Christmas week.

Hospitalizations are also on the rise across the state, stretching resources thin.

At Baptist Memorial Hospital - Carroll County there were 13 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Monday, according to hospital administrator Susan Breeden. She confirmed there was one on a venalator.

“It was during the weeks of Dec. 7  and 14 there begin to be an increase in patients,” she said.

The hospital also does a treatment of monoclonal infusions for positive cases that do not require hospitalization.

“Our hospital was the first in this area to make this treatment available,” said Breeden. “The person receiving the infusion must meet certain criteria.”

Baptist began administering the infusions on Nov. 14 and to date 161 infusions have been administered, she confirmed.