With 2,000 doses available, some Madison County residents were in line at midnight for a COVID-19 vaccination at the Jackson Fairgrounds, Thursday.
Citizens age 75 and older qualified for the vaccination.
“We’re having our first mass vaccination clinic,” Kim Tedford said, “You have to be a Madison County resident. (I’m) not picking on our counties around us, but our vaccine is allocated – based on population – so it’s important that we take care of folks in Madison County, first.”
Kim Tedford is the regional director of the Jackson Madison County Health Department.
“This population (75-and-older) is never an issue to get them to take vaccines,” Tedford said, “We knew it was going to be a big turnout and we’re going to work really hard to process them through the line as quickly as possible.”
Those who received the vaccine today are expected to return for a second Pfizer vaccine, January 28.
“We have been assured since the beginning of the vaccination process, that when we receive a shipment of vaccine that we automatically receive a second dose,” Tedford said.
She also added the Rapid Response list has 4,387 people.
Rapid Response is intended to prevent the vaccine from going to waste. If a vial of the vaccine has been opened and partially used, the health department will call the next person(s) on the list to receive the rest of the opened vial.
“There is no way the Health Department could do this without the help of our community partners,” Tedford said, “We have been planning this for several days and with the help of the Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Police Department Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Fire Department Tennessee Highway Patrol Tennessee Department of Transportation Union University Pharmacy students West Tennessee Healthcare workers on their day off and the staff of the Health Department.
“We are excited about it because we feel like we are finally doing something about the pandemic … we finally feel like we are doing something that helps slow down the pandemic.”
(PHOTO: Madison County residents wait in line on South Highland Avenue for a COVID-19 vaccination at the Jackson Fairgrounds – courtesy Downtown Ricky Brown Traffic Network)
