County health departments offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment

ED. NOTE, JAN. 21 — This story has been edited to reflect a new phone number to call for a vaccination appointment in Hardin County.

INITIAL STORY, JAN. 12 — Tennessee county health departments are now booking appointments for people in Phase 1 populations of the Tennessee COVID-19 Vaccination Plan and those aged 75 and up wanting COVID-19 vaccinations.
Tennesseans can follow a three-step process to learn when they’re eligible for vaccination and register for a vaccination appointment:
Find your phase
Tennesseans can find out what phase of the vaccination plan they’re in by visiting https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/eligibility/.
Find the phase your county is vaccinating
To learn what phase your county is vaccinating, visit https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/.
In Hardin County, those eligible to receive a vaccine include essentially all healthcare workers, first responders such as police and firefighters, and K-12 teachers and childcare workers, according to the state health department website. However, according to a Hardin County-specific news release Tuesday from the state health department, K-12 teachers and childcare workers are not currently eligible.
As of Tuesday morning, no vaccine was available in Hardin County according to the Tennessee Department of Health website. As of Jan. 7, the latest date for which information is available, 959 people in Hardin County had received a first vaccine dose, and one had received the needed two.
Register for a vaccination appointment
People who are in a phase currently being vaccinated in their county can register online at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/ for an appointment time to receive a vaccination through their county health department.
Click your county on the map and then click “Make an Appointment” to register. Those who register will be asked to enter their name and contact information to be notified of their appointment date, time and location as soon as vaccine becomes available. By phone, to make an appointment in Hardin County, call 866-442-5301.
“We’re excited to begin this process to help deliver this vital service in the most efficient way possible while managing the limited and somewhat unpredictable supply of vaccines,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey.
The COVID-19 vaccines currently in use require two doses for the best protection against the virus. People who receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a county health department will be contacted to make an appointment to receive their second dose of vaccine, the health department said in a news release Tuesday.
The COVID-19 vaccine supply is still limited, and Tennessee counties may progress through COVID-19 vaccination phases at different times, depending on supplies of COVID-19 vaccines. Tennessee county health departments will announce additional opportunities for residents to receive vaccinations as vaccine supplies become available, and as the county moves to new phases of the vaccination plan.
Those with general questions about COVID-19 may call the COVID-19 Public Information Line at 877-857-2945 or 833-556-2476 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The state health department continues to remind all Tennesseans that in addition to vaccination, wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance and getting tested when exposed or sick are critical to controlling the pandemic.
Tennessee’s allocation plan prioritizes those most at risk of illness and death from COVID-19.