CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Clarksville, and the most at-risk first responders were first in line for the first doses.
Last week, the Montgomery County Health Department received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine. A group of 10 first responders and public safety workers from Montgomery County and the City of Clarksville were vaccinated, according to a news release.
“I appreciate that these employees stepped forward to take the vaccine and I am thankful for the work they do each day to keep our community healthy and safe. This is the first of many steps we need to take in order to get to the other side of this pandemic,” County Mayor Jim Durrett said in the release.
The vaccines were administered by nurses from the Health Department at the Emergency Operations Center on Monday, Dec. 21.
“We are excited to have these vaccines and see our COVID-19 vaccination activities underway in our community,” said Montgomery County Health Director Joey Smith. “We’ve been preparing for months to distribute approved vaccines and we believe this will be a safe and effective tool in the fight against COVID-19.”
High-risk employees first
The 10 employees were selected based on the list predetermined “high-risk” criteria established by the Tennessee Department of Health and include Dustin Haas and Jessie Ferrell with EMS, Hope Peterson with 911 Dispatch, Mark Chandler and Robert Jones with Clarksville Fire Rescue, Fred Smith and Charles Hummel with the Sheriff’s Office, Steve Hamilton and Tina Slaven with Clarksville Police and Tammy Arms with EMA.
“While it is extremely important that we take these steps to offer greater protection for our most exposed populations, we must keep in mind that we all need to mask up, social distance and avoid gathering to minimize the spread of this virus,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said.
The Tennessee Department of Health will provide data on COVID-19 vaccines administered in the state via a new online dashboard which will be updated each Tuesday and Friday.
Chandler, the first to receive the vaccination in Clarksville, Montgomery County said, “I’m honored to be a part of this. It’s great to see Montgomery County taking care of the people who take care of Montgomery County.”
About the vaccines
The first allocations of both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines in Tennessee will be used to provide first vaccine doses in a priority established by the state based on federal guidelines.
It’s important to note these Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable; each patient must receive two doses of the same vaccine to be protected against COVID-19. Those who choose to receive the vaccine will receive a card with the date of their first dose, the name/manufacturer of the vaccine received and the date on which they should receive their second dose.